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STORY 


STREATOR 


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THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR 


r>F.INr.  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  GROWTH  OF  ITS  IN- 
^  STITUTIONS,  CIVIC.  SOCIAL  AND  INDUSTRIAL. 
WITH  SPECIAL  REFERENCE  TO  ITS  MANUFACTURING 
AND  BUSINESS  INTERESTS:  TOGETHER  WITH  AN  OUTLINE 
OF  ITS  EARLY  HISTORY  AND  LIFE  SKETCHES  OF  SOME 
OF  ITS  LEADING  CITIZENS. 


EDITED  BY 
E.  WILLIAMS 


PUBLISHED  BY 
M.  MEEHAN 


AND 
.     THE  INDEPENDENT-TIMES 
STREATOR.  ILL. 


1912 


FLASHLIGHTS  OF  STREATOR 


TREATOR  was  platted  in  1868;  organized  as  a  village  in  1870;  organ- 
ized as  a  city  in  1882. 

0 

In  1870  it  had  a  population  of  1486;  in  1880   it   numbered   5.157; 
in  1912  it  claims  18,000  in  city  and  environs. 


It  was  named  after  Dr.  W.  L.  Streator,  president  of  the  Vermillion 
Coal  Company,  which  opened  the  first  shipping  coal  mines  in  1866. 


It  is  situated  93  miles  southwest  of  Chicago,  on  the  Vermillion  River,  at  the 
southern  extremity  of  La  Salle  County  where  it  joins  Livingston;  in  the  heart  of 
the  famous  corn  belt  of  North  America,  and  in  one  of  the  healthiest  and  most  pro- 
ductive regions. 

0 

It  is  surrounded  by  the  richest  farms  on  the  continent,  whose  value  runs 
from  $200  to  $300  per  acre,  and  whose  owners  and  cultivators  are  wealthy,  progres- 
sive and  intelligent. 

0 

It  is  reached  by  gravel  roads  from  every  direction,  and  these  will  soon  be  su- 
perseded by  brick  to  accommodate  the  automobiles  now  owned  by  nearly  every  rich 
farmer. 

0 

It  stands  on  two  producing  seams  of  coal,  and  40  feet  of  workable  shale,  than 
which  there  is  none  better  in  America  for  the  making  of  vitrified  brick. 


It  reaches  the  markets  through  seven  lines  of  railroad,  which  radiate  in 
twelve  different  directions,  and  which  reach  thirty-one  different  states  and  terri- 
tories.   Their  combined  mileage  is  45,000  miles. 


0- 


Its  freight  rates  are  the  same  or  better  than  Chicago;  its  car  service  is 
prompt,  speedy  and  sure;  there  are  plenty  of  switch  engines  and  crews  and  switch- 
ing charges  are  absorbed. 

0 

It  has  fourteen 'coal  mines  operating  in  two  seams  of  coal. 


It  has  25,000  acres  of  unmined  third  vein  coal,  pronounced  by  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 
fuel  inspector  the  best  engine  coal  in  Northern  Illinois. 


It  has  four  shale  and  clay  working  factories  making  brick,  tile  and  sewer  pipe 
and  employing  600  men. 

0 

It  has  thousands  of  acres  of  undeveloped  shale,  without  a  superior  in 
America. 

o-= — 

Its  bottle  factory  runs  24  hours  a  day  and  makes  6,480,000  bottles  per  week, 
being  45,000  per  hour,  or  740  per  minute.  It  covers  forty-five  acres,  employs  1800 
men,  and  consumes  400  tons  of  coal  per  day. 


It  has  30  passenger  and  40  freight  trains  daily. 


-fl- 


it handles  an  average  of  8,000,000  pounds  of  freight  daily. 

o 

It  received  and  shipped  in  1911  freight   amounting   to   2,470,000,000   pounds, 
110,000,000  pounds  being  in  less  than  carload  lots. 


It  took  39,500  30-ton  cars  to  handle  this  freight,  which,  if  made  up  in  trains 
of  25  cars  each,  would  extend  over  300  miles  of  trackage. 


It  is  an  outer  belt  for  Chicago,  and  the  above    figures  do    not    include    the  vast 
amounts  of  freight  transferred  or  that  passed  through  the  city. 


— fl- 


its Santa  Fe  pay  roll  alone  amounts  to  $10,000  per  month,  most  of  it   in  yard 
and  transfer  service. 

0 

It  shipped  375  automobiles  in  1912  over  one  road  alone,   exclusive   of  those 

sent  by  other  roads. 

o 


It  is  only  two   hours  by  express  from  Chicago. 


It  has  30  miles  of  vitrified  brick  street  paving,  surpassing  any  city  of  its  size 

in  the  country. 

0 

It  has  16  miles  of  sewers. 


It  built  $250,000  of  new  buildings  last  year,  one  of  the  most  prosperous  build- 
ing years  in  its  history. 


It  has  12  miles  of  concrete  and  75  miles  of  brick  sidewalks. 


It  has  a  fine  public  park  of  eleven  acres  in  the    heart    of  the    city,    and  two 
smaller  parks. 


It  has  a  splendid  wooded  Chautauqua  park  of  twenty  acres  with  a  comm.od- 
ious  steel  pavillion  seating  5,000  people. 


It  has  an  attractive  nine-hole  golf  course  of  fifty-five  acres,    with  a   comfort- 
able country  club  house. 

It  has  a  well  patronized  $50,000  public  library,  containing  16,000  volumes. 

0 

It  has  two  fine  club  buildings,  the  Elks  and  th?  Streator  Club,  the  latter  be- 
ing thrown  open  hospitably  to  public  uses  when  occasion  justifies. 

o 

It  has  a  fine  Masonic  Temple  and  an  Odd  Fellows'  building. 


It  has  the  largest  retail  department  store  for  a  town  of  its   size — or  of  three 
times  its  size — in  the  world,  it  having  140,000  square  feet  of  flooring  under  one  roof. 


It  has  seven  splendid  school  buildings  of   modern   construction,   which   cost 
about  $300,000. 

It  has  twenty  churches  of  all  denominations. 

o 

It  has  a  well  equipped  modern  opera  house,  and  four  other  picture  and  vaude- 
ville theatres. 

It  has  three  excellent  hotels. 


It  has  three  daily  newspapers  and  a  German  weekly. 

It  has  $15,000,000  invested  in  industries,    inclusive    of  the    AmerJoac    Bottle 
Company,  whose  parent  plant  and  headquarters  are  here. 

It  has  as  good  a  climate  and  as  low  a  mortality  rate  as  any  city  ir,  the  upion. 


It  manufactures  annually  7,000,000  milk  jars,  most  of  which    .ire  used  in  the 
Chicago  milk  trade. 


It  produces  3,000,000  square  feet  of  rolled  plate  glass  per  year  and  furnishes 
80  per  cent  of  the  wire  and  skylight  glass  used  in  the  loop  district,  Chicago. 


-o- 


It  makes  1,500,000  pounds  of  Illinois  Valley  Creamery  butter  per  year. 


— o- 


It  has  a  garter  factory  that  turns  out  3,000,000  pairs  of  garters  annually. 


It  packed  2,500,000  cans   of  corn  last  year  and  will  increase  the  amount  this 


year. 


It  has  an  abundant  supply  of  artesian  water  which  its   factories  tap  on  their 
own  grounds  and  use  for  boiler  and  other  uses. 


-o- 


It  turned  out  last  year  2.000  carloads  of  sewer  pipe. 

cy 

It  manufactures  60,000,000  vitrified  shale  brick  annually,  which  lead  in  the 
building  and  paving  brick  trade  of  the  central  and  northwest. 

It  has  a  mining  capacity  of  three-quarters  of  a  million  tons  of  coal  annually. 

Its  urban  transportation  is  cared  for  by  street  cars  of  the  Public  Service  Com- 
pany, and  it.s  interurban  travel  by  the  Chicago,  Ottawa  and  Peoria  Railway  Com- 
pany, which  connects  with  the  McKinley  interurban  system  of  the  state. 

Its  total  bank  transactions  for  the  past  year  were  in  excess  of  $50,000,000. 

Its  four  building  and  loan  associations  have  2,200  different  shareholders,  and 
their  total  receipts  last  year  aggregated  5300,000. 

o 

Its  citizens  are  largely  home-owners,  as  its  building  and  loan  figures  show; 
for  the  $300,000  received  by  these  societies  last  year  was  loaned  largely  to  home- 
builders— and  the  same  is  true  of  former  years. 


In  addition  to  the  inducements  the  city  and  the  Commercial  Club  may  have 
to  offer  factory  owners,  the  railroads  have  secured  some  splendid  tracts  of  real  es- 
tate, admirably  located  for  shipping  purposes,  and  on  the  promise  of  increased  busi- 
ness, are  prepared  to  deal  liberally  with  prospective  investors. 

o 


It  has  a  live  Commercial  Club  which  will  be  glad  to  give  any  further  infor- 


mation. 


J 


FOREV/ORD  BY  THE  CLUB 


—^       HE    Streator    Commercial  Club  takes      pleasure    in    presenting-    to    the 
A  public  what  is  believed  to  be  the  first  adequate  review  of  Streator 's  re- 

sources, its  business  advantages,  its  history  and  its  characteristics,  that 
has  been  published. 

A  perusal  of  the  work  will  show  that  care  has  been  taken  to  pdesent 
the  significant  features  of  the  city  in  a  dignified  and  worthy  way,  and 
that  the  triviality  and  exaggeration  usually  found  disfiguring  a  work  of  this  char- 
acter has  been  avoided. 

The  fundamental  facts  about  the  town  have  been  set  forth  with  truth  and 
clearness;  many  points  not  hitherto  noticed  have  been  brought  out  with  a  new  em- 
phasis, and  the  whole  has  been  treated  in  a  readable  and  interesting  manner. 

We  commend  "The  Story  of  Streator"  to  any  prospective  investor  or  home 
maker  or  any  citizen  or  friend  of  Streator  desiring  a  true  and  interesting  account  of 
the  men  and  the  forces  that  have  made  the  town. 

The  Club  will  be  pleased  to  correspond  with  interested    parties    and  to  give 

such  additional  and  detailed  information  as  it  may  possess. 

The  variety  and  excellence  of  its  illustrations,  as  well  as  the  high  quality  of  its 

mechanical  execution,  will  make  it  a  fine  souvenir  of  Streator;  equally  good  to  keep 

or  to  send  away  to  friends. 

Streator  Co.nmercial  Club. 


OFFICERS: 


P.  J.  LUCEY 
F.  T.  ROLPH 
0.  B.  RYON 
PHILIP  SAUNDERS 


President. 

Vice-Pres. 

Secretary 

Treasurer. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE: 
P.  J.  Lucey  R.  F.  Purcell  M.  B.  Haskell 

F.  T.  Rolph  C.  H.  Williams  S.  W.  Plumb 

H.  W.  Lukins  Philip  Sounders  0.  B.  Ryon 


THK  STOUV   (»r  STIlKATOIt 


PROGRESS  OF  STREATOR 

PITHY  AND  POINTED  RECITAL  OF  CAUSES  THAT  MADE  IT  GROW. 


Here  arc  revealed  tlie  eauses  of  Streator's 
progress  and  prosperity,  past,  present  and  fu- 
ture. 

1 — ('().\l..  It  was  l)oni  imf  nt'  the  coal  heds. 
Dm  tills  stroiig  and  substantial  toumlation  was 
raised  a  vigorous  and  intelligent  stock  of  min- 
ers, who  formed  tlie  first  layer  of  its  poinilation. 

2— GLASS.  On  this  solid  su1)stnu'ture  of 
coal  was  reared  the  glass  industry,  which 
liroughl  in  a  large  numlu'r  of  highly  skilled 
and  highly  i>aid  operatives  from  the  r)ld 
Worlti.  The  stream  from  the  jtay-roll  of  the 
glass  works  never  ceased  to  flow,  whatever 
drought  or  panic  alTlicted  the  business  world. 
It  nourisiied  the  town  through  didl  and  busy 
years  and  kept  it  pjive  and  growing. 

:J— SILVLK.  Another  gift  of  Mother  Earth 
were  the  shale  l»eds — jierhaps  the  most  pre- 
i-ions  of  all.  They  gave  jiroducts  (pf  paving 
brick,  bnildini;-  lilocks,  sewer  pipe  and  tih'.  and 
called  in  a  large  force  of  men  for  their  develop- 
ment and  manufacture. 

4— KAILKOAl^S.  The  carrying  of  the  vast 
amount  of  freight  originating  here  brought  in 
five  great  systems  of  railroads,  with  their 
switch  crews,  their  yard  and  office  men  run- 
ning up  into  the  hundreds. 

o— FHKICIIT  1{ATES.  lint  the  railroads 
did  more.  With  their  enonnously  extended 
systems  they  jmt  Streator  in  direct  contact 
with  nearly  every  state  in  the  union  without 
leaving  tli<'  original  line;  and  their  competition 
brought  Streator  a  freii;ht  rate  as  o-ood  or  bet- 
ter than  Chicago. 

G— PKinLWKXCK.  The  pennaneuce  of 
tlie  three  foundation  industries  is  assured  be- 
ean.se:  (1)  The  coal  is  here  and  must  be  mined; 
(2)  the  |iroximity  to  fuel  and  the  best  silica 
sand  in  the  world  make  this  the  best  point  in 
America  to  manufacture  glass;  and  (3)  there  is 
no  better  shale  on  the  continent,  and  none 
nearer  to  the  best  market. 


7— MANUFACTURE.  The  motives  that 
induced  the  planting  here  of  the  Crawford  Lo- 
comotive ami  Car  Company,  the  \'ulc;in  Detin- 
ning  Comi)any,  the  Automobile  and  Metal 
Stamping  Works  will  bring  other  wood  and 
metal  working  concerns  to  Streator. 

8_L()CATI0X.  Streator  is  situated  at  the 
northern  extremity  of  the  coal  and  shale  beds, 
and  has  the  advantage  of  distance  to  the  mar- 
kets of  Chicago  and  the  north.  Seated  at  the 
door  of  the  great  northwest,  in  the  heart  of  the 
Mississipjii  ^'alley — a  region  destined  to  be  the 
granary  of  the  world  and  its  greatest  consmner 
of  mannfactiired  goods — Streator.  with  its  rail- 
roads gridironing  this  vast  territory,  is  bound 
to  become  a  centre  of  manufacture  and  distri 
but  ion. 

!» — l.AHDR.  Trades  in  Streator  are  organ- 
ized, intelligent,  and  conservative,  and  the 
workmen  largely  own  their  own  homes.  This 
is  esjiecially  true  of  the  miners  and  glass  work- 
ers, who  are  the  dominant  influence  in  labor 
matters.  \'ery  rarely  has  there  been  a  strike 
or  lal)or  trouble,  usually  only  when  there  has 
been  a  national  suspension.  Being  only  93 
miles  from  Chicago,  with  its  vast  supply,  em- 
jiloyers  can  readily  get  any  additional  help  re- 
(|uired,  whether  skilled  or  unskilled.  The 
lower  cost  of  living  makes  it  an  attrai-tive  place 
for  workmen  to  come  to  from  the  large  cities. 

10— PROCJRESS.  Its  progress  is  mainly 
indigenous.  T'nlike  towns  created  by  corjiora- 
tions.  such  as  Pullman  or  (Jary.  or  those  which 
have  bought  their  growth  by  l)onuses,  Strea- 
tor's progress  has  been  spontaneous,  unforced 
and  un]3urehased.  Its  industries  have  been 
started  mainly  by  its  own  citizens.  The  money 
to  establish  them  was  made  here,  and  the  pro- 
fits re-invested  in  the  extension  of  the  business, 
or  in  the  starting  of  new  entei-prises. 

n — PEOPLE.  Its  business  men  are  aggres- 
sive, progressive,  liberal.  The  first  generation 
— the  men  who  made  the  town — are  still  in 
command.    There  are  no  idle  rich;  there  is  no 


THR  STOUY  OF  STREATOR. 


idle  capital.  There  are  better  fields  for  feeble 
industries  seeking  bonuses  than  Streator,  but 
there  is  no  place  where  a  healthy  business, 
ho\Yever  small,  would  have  heartier  encourage- 
ment, or  have  a  surer  prosi)ect  of  a  safe,  strong 
and  vigorous  growth. 

12— OPPORTUNITY.  Its  opportunities  are 
unexhausted.  The  natural  resources  whicli 
produced  such  splendid  results  without  the  aid 
of  outside  capital  are  still  here.  They  are  a 
standing  invitation  to  men  of  means  and  enter- 


prise to  develop  them.  Thousands  of  acres  of 
shale,  as  good  as  any  that  have  been  worked, 
are  still  untouched.  The  advantages  which 
made  Streator  one  of  the  greatest  glass  pro- 
ducers in  the  west  are  undiminished.  The  rail- 
road facilities  which  have  attracted  manufac- 
turers seeking  locations,  are  better  than  ever. 
And  its  citizens  stand  ready  to  share  these  op- 
portuuities  with  whosoever  wislies  to  come 
here  and  co-operate  with  them  m  the  making 
of  a  bigger  and  better  Streator. 


../^i%s^" 


A  View  of  the  City  Park. 


THK  STOin    <>!<'  STISKATOlt. 


THE  INDUSTRIES  i)FSTREATOR 

Its  Factories  and  Mines — Leading  Workers  in   Glass,   Coal,   Clay,    Metal 

and  Wood. 


Streator  is  a  rity  of  t'aiturics  and  niiin-s.  It 
is  essentially  an  industrial  town.  It  prospers 
l)y  tlie  ]>rosp('iity  ol"  its  produceis,  i)y  tlie  en- 
er;;y  and  enterprise  of  its  mannfai'tnicrs.  Were 
tile  busy  hands  to  stop  workimr  in  factory  or 
mine  its  pulsinj^  heart  would  stop  l)eatinjj;. 
Were  the  l)rains  of  its  eai)tains  of  industry  to 
slop  eneritizin.i;  and  directinir  there  would  lie 
no  proiiui'tion,  no  wai-cs,  no  one  to  l)uy  and 
sell.  For  Streator  has  no  arruniulated  wealth, 
no  inlierited  fortunes,  no  leisure  elass  to  sup 
jiort  it  tliroui^h  a  period  of  idleness.  It  is  a 
town  of  workers.  I'^vcryliody  must  listen  wlien 
the  wlii'^lif  iilows  for  work.  It  is  the  u:oo(l  for- 
tune of  the  town  that  there  have  been  very  few 
serious  interru]itions  of  that  cheerful  souiul  for 
the  past  fortv  years,  and  it  is  the  hope  of  its 
future  tiial  the  morniiiii-  chorus  of  wh'stles  will 


grow  lari;cr  and  stronner,  with  more  diversiiied 
tones  ami  witli  ever  increasing:  volume. 

Streator's  principal  moiniments  are  her 
mines  and  factories.  On  the  itrospeiity  of  her 
workers  in  coal  and  irlass,  in  shale  and  metal 
and  wood,  her  e.xistence  absolutely  di'pemls.  It 
is  fitting  therefore  that  in  a  work  telling  "The 
Stoiy  of  Streator"  the  most  prominent  posi- 
tion should  be  given  to  those  interests  on  which 
the  town  is  fundamentallv   based. 

Accordingly  the  opening  pages  of  this  book 
are  devoted  to  a  description  of  its  leading  in- 
dustries. In  the  ]>receding  i)aragra)dis  they 
have  been  treated  briefly  for  the  eye  of  tlie  cas- 
ual rea<ler.  but  in  the  pages  that  follow  they 
will  l)e  describe<l  and  illustrated  at  greater 
length,  and  in  a  manner  more  befitting  their 
importance. 


Assendjled  \'iew  of  American  Bottle  Co.'s  Works. 


10 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


STREATOR'S  GLASS  INDUSTRIES 

LEAD  ALL  OTHERS  IN  NUMBER  OF  WORKMEN  AND  VALUE   OF 

PRODUCTS. 


Glass  making  has  for  some  years  been  the 
leading  indnstry  of  Streator,  whether  measured 
by  the  number  of  men  employed,  the  value  of 
the  product,  or  the  size  of  the  pay  roll.  It  is 
an  indigenous  industry,  that  is,  it  is  not  im- 
ported, but  native  to  the  soil.  It  began  here 
some  30  years  ago  with  the  eiTorts  of  some 
local  capitalists  to  build  factories  to  promote 
the  growth  of  the  town.  It  started  without  ex- 
perienced managers,  and,  with  the  vicissitudes 
attending  so  highly  technical  an  industry  it  is 
a  wonder  that  the  industry  ever  survi^■ed  its 
early  experiments.  That  it  did  survive  argues 
that  Streator  must  have  had  great  natural  ad- 
vantages for  the  glass  business. 

Today  there  ai'e  three  im]3ortant  gL'iss  plants 
in  Streator,  making  respectively,  water,  beer 
and  soda  bottles,  milk  jars  and  rolled  plate 
glass.  Between  2,000  and  3,000  men  are  em- 
ployed when  the  factories  are  running  at  their 
m-ximum  capacity.  The  indications  are  that 
this  industry  will  continue  to  grow.  Only  re- 
cently the  milk  jar  factory  was  erected,  and 
since  building  they  have  found  it  necessary  to 
double  their  plant.  The  American  Bottle  Com- 
pany has  built  a  new  factory,  and  the  Western 
Glass  Company  lias  made  additions  to  its  plant. 
All  are  pros]iering,  and  the  growth  of  the  busi- 
ness to  its  ])resent  magnitude  is  the  best  pos- 


sible evidence  of  the  superiority  of  Streator  as 
a  glass  manufacturing  centre. 

President  Jack's  Statement. 

Were  any  further  testimony  needed  it  is 
furnished  by  Mr.  M.  W.  Jack,  president  of  the 
American  Bottle  Company,  the  greatest  pro- 
ducer of  gla?s  bottles  in  the  world,  and  which 
has  half  a  dozen  factories  in  different  states. 
Being  asked  his  opinion  of  the  advantages  of 
Streator  as  a  glass  making  point  Mr.  Jack 
replied: 

"I  should  say  the  advantages  of  Streator 
as  a  glass  producing  centre  are  three-fold, 
namely : 

"1 — Its  local  fuel  sup]ily.  Streator  coal 
has  been  one  of  our  great  advantages. 

"2 — Its  nearness  to  an  inexhaustible  su]iply 
of  the  best  sand  in  the  world  for  glass  makhig. 

"3 — Its  central  location  between  east  and 
west,  and  its  excellent  railroad  facilities,  make 
this  an  extremely  desirable  point  for  our 
business. 

"In  my  judgment  Streatoi*  has  very  few 
equals  and  no  superiors  in  the  United  States  as 
a  location  for  glass  makin-i. " 

After  this  emphatic  statement  fi'nm  one  of 
the  best  authorities  in  America  on  glass  mak- 
ing, nothing  can  be  added  to  shed  more  liglit 
on  the  glass  situation. 


THE  AMERICAN  BOTTLE  COMPANY 


The  American  Bottle  Company  is  the  lar- 
gest producer  of  bottles  in  the  world.  Its  par- 
ent plant  is  situated  in  Streator.  The  Company 
also  has  factories  at  Belleville,  111.,  Newark, 
Ohio,  Massillon,  Ohio,  and  Wooster,  Ohio.  The 
capacity  of  the  Streator  plant  is  five  thousand 
gross  per  day,  or  nearly  2,000,000  gross  per 
year.  i]:'| 

It  gives  employment  to  1,800  men  when  run- 


ning full  time.  The  kind  of  ware  made  is  prin- 
cipally beer  bottles,  water  and  soda  bottles. 
The  product  is  shipped  to  nearly  every  state  in 
the  union,  as  far  east  as  New  York,  west  to 
California,  north  to  Canada,  and  south  to  New 
Orleans.  It  is  also  ex])orted  to  Mexico,  Cuba, 
Vancou\or,  and  to  the  British  posses.sions.  In 
quali^^y  tlie  product  stands  in  a  class  by  itself. 
It  has  no  equal  in  the  world.     The  demand  for 


THE  STORY  OF  STKKATOK. 


11 


it  has  required  a  constant  increase  of  output 
from  year  to  year,  and  the  prospect  is  tliat  it 
will  continue  to  ^row  even  ijreater. 

Extent  of  Plant. 
Tlif  ))l<int  is  enornmus  in  extent,  the  vast 
reciuireinciit  for  storage  of  bottles  calling  for  a 
great  number  of  warehouses.  It  covers  in  all 
about  fifty  acres  of  ground  for  factory  build- 
ings; wliicli  ciichxe  twelve  large  tank  f'unuioes. 
The  last  fjictory  erected  is  of  steel  and  iron  witli 
concrete  Hoors,  of  tlie  most  modern  fire-resist- 
ing constniction.  It  is  425  feet  long  by  265 
feet  wiile,  and  coiifaiiis  six  tank  furnaces  which 
supply  twelve  ( Iweiis  Automatic  Process  bottle 
blowing  machines. 


was  venturesome  and  sagacious  enough  to  line 
up  with  the  winning  nuicliine  would  be  the  one 
tliat  would  survive;  and  those  who  found  out 
too  late,  or  who  lacked  the  capital  or  courage 
to  adopt  the  new  invention,  would  be  down 
and  out.  The  American  Bottle  Company  had 
the  foresight  to  see  that  the  Owens'  machine 
was  a  success,  and  the  result  has  proved  the 
soundness  of  its  judgment.  Had  it  failed  to 
rise  to  its  ojiiKirtuiiity,  the  glass  industry'  in 
Streator  would  in  time  have  become  a  thing  of 
the  past.  As  it  is  its  jiemianence  is  assured  for 
many  generations  to  come.  While  it  is  tnie  that 
the  new  process  will  displace  skilled  labor  to  a 
considerable  extent,  vet  there  is  assurance  that 


Its  Future  Is  Assured. 

During  their  .30  years  of  operation  in  Strea- 
tor the  bottle  factories  have  been  the  sure  re- 
liance of  the  town.  Panics  came  and  went,  but 
the  pay  roll  of  the  bottle  works  went  on,  giv- 
ing a  steady  supi)ort  to  the  business  interests 
of  the  city.  When  the  revolution  in  the  manu- 
facture of  bottles  threatened  to  destroy  tiie  in- 
dustry in  its  old  form,  it  was  fortunate  for 
Streator  that  its  factories  were  in  the  hands  of 
a  company  strong  enough  and  enteri>risinir 
enough  to  jn-otect  its  plants.  In  the  natural 
course  of  events  it  was  inevitable  that  machin- 
ery should  be  introduced,  and  the  concern  that 


hand-blown  bottles  will  be  made  here  for  a  long 
time. 

Executive  Staff  of  the  Company. 

The  American  Buttle  Company  was  formed 
by  the  consolidation  in  1906  of  the  Streator 
P.ottle  &  Glass  Companv  with  certain  eastern 
interests,  and  was  capitalized  at  $10,000,000. 
Mr.  M.  W.  Jack,  of  the  Streator  Company,  v\as 
made  president,  and  Mr.  p].  II.  Everett,  who  had 
boen  identified  with  the  bottle  industry  for  .'30 
years,  and  who  was  the  leading  spirit  in  t'le 
eastern  factories,  became  General  Manager  and 
Chainnan  of  the  Executive  Board. 

:'lr.  L.  S.  Stoehr,  also  a  reprf  seutativo  of  the 


12 


THE  STORY  OK  STREATOR. 


eastern  interests,  became  vice  president  and 
assistant  general  manager.  He  was  succeeded 
as  vice  president  later  bj'  Mr.  H.  CI.  Phillips, 
who  was  promoted  from  the  position  of  audi- 
tor.   Mr.  Stoelir  retains  tlie  jiositiou  of  director. 

Promotion  Policy  of  Company. 

The  character  of  the  Streator  branch  of  the 
company  may  be  judged  by  the  kind  and  qual- 
ity of  men  it  lias  promoted  to  higli  positions. 
Not  one  of  the  men  now  holding  its  positions 
of  responsibility  and  authority  but  has  been 
with  it  for  many  years,  and  been  advanced 
from  a  subordinate  place  in  the  ranks. 

A  conspicuous  example  is  ^Ir.  W.  J.  Crane, 


No  review  of  tlie  Streator  staff  would  be 
comi^lete  that  did  not  mention  the  name  of  the 
late  Joliu  C.  Evans,  tiie  aggressive  and  forceful 
superintendent  of  the  factories.  Mr.  Evans  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  comjiany  at  its  begin- 
ning as  a  carrier  boy  and  worked  liis  way  up 
until  in  1893  he  was  appointed  superintendent, 
whicli  position  he  filled  for  eighteen  years,  un- 
til liis  recent  deatJi. 

He  was  succeeded  as  sui)erintendent  by  W. 
H.  Jennings,  also  a  graduate  of  the  comjiany's 
own  training.  He  entered  its  employ  as  a 
clerk  in  1889,  and  has  been  with  tlie  comiuiny 
for  22  years,  during  the  latter  i)eriod  having 
full  charge  of  the  office.     Mi'.  p]vans'  untimelv 


Secretary  of  the  company,  with  headquarters 
at  Chicago.  Mr.  Crane  is  a  Streator  boy,  who 
went  into  the  local  office  many  years  ago  as 
bookkeeper.  He  made  himself  a  master  of  the 
financial  side  of  the  business,  and  by  devoted 
attention  to  the  interests  of  the  company  be- 
came so  invaluable  tlmt  he  was  made  its  secre- 
tary. His  present  high  office  was  a  natural 
sequel  when  the  consolidation  took  place. 

Ml".  Frank  A.  Waters  is  another  Streator 
boy  who  entered  the  local  office  as  bookeeper. 
He  too  "made  good,"  and  his  cpialities  were 
recognized  by  making  him  Assistant  Treasurer 
of  the  American  Bottle  Company  when  the 
change  was  made. 


end  left  the  operating  force  like  an  amiy 
whose  general  had  been  shot  down  in  battle, 
^fr.  Jennings  liecame  superintendent,  and 
though  the  situation  was  made  very  critical  by 
new  methods  and  processes,  his  command  of  the 
situation  was  so  complete  that  the  great  or- 
ganization moved  as  smoothly  and  even  more 
efficiently  than  before.  His  long  training  with 
the  company  and  his  own  abilities  gave  him 
thorough  masteiy  of  a  difficidt  situation  and 
enabled  him  to  gras])  the  oi)portunity  when  it 
arose. 

Mt.  Jennings  is  ably  supported  by  his  as- 
sistant, Mr.  Geo.  E.  Sopher,  Assistant  Superin- 
tendent of  tlie  Companj".     Mr.  Sopher  is  an- 


Tin;  sioia  <ii   si  iii.  \  roit. 


13 


otlier  cxaiiipk'  of  tlie  prevailiug  system,  hav- 
ing!; risen  throiifj:li  years  of  service  from  a  lower 
to  a  liifjluM-  jiositioii. 

Personal  Factors  in  Success. 

Ill  ('iiiiiiicratiMy  tlu'  iiiTsoiial  factors  wliicli 
have  contrilmlcil  to  the  comjtany's  success  the 
name  of  W.  F.  diodes  calls  for  recoij-iiition.  Mr. 
Modes  was  su|icrint('iident  from  ISS."!  to  l<Si»."!, 
and  was  an  expert  in  the  makiiii;-  and  manau- 
inj?  of  continuous  tank  furnaces.  The  tank 
funiace  was  a  p^reat  improvement  on  the  pot 
furnace  that  preceded  it,  and  ^fr.  Modes' 
kiiowiedi^c  was  of  u^reat  service  in  keeping  the 
comj)any  in  the  front  line  of  progress  in  glass 


making. 

The  success  of  an  industry  is  tiie  success  of 
its  leading  sjiirits.  This  is  tnie  in  a  special 
and  uuitpie  way  of  the  bottle  company,  and  the 
writer  has  felt  that  the  stoiy  of  this  corpora- 
tion's .success  could  in  no  way  be  so  interest- 
ingly and  adequately  told  as  by  a  review  of  the 
men  who  have  made  its  success  jwssible. 

From  President  Jack,  who  is  the  oldest  em- 
ploye in  point  of  service  to  tlic  latest  recruit, 
every  man  feels  that  merit  will  win  recogni- 
tion, and  the  result  is  shown  in  the  splendid 
executive  staff  wlio.sc  service  the  company 
now  enjoys. 


THATCHER  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 


Ycningest  among  Streator's  glass  factories  is 
the  j)lant  of  the  Thatcher  Manufacturing  Com- 
jiany.  Fnlike  its  neighboring  glass  plants  it 
is  not  the  jiroduct  of  Streator  initiative  and 
enterprise.  It  i~  the  Western  branch  of  a  com- 
pany  already   established      in   the     east.     The 


Jieing  the  most  recent  of  the  factories  to  l)e 
erected  it  is  also  among  the  most  modern  in  its 
strueture  and  ei|uipiiieiit.  Every  principle  of 
the  most  up-to-date  factory  construction  has 
been  taken  advantage  of  and  all  waste  hand 
lalior  and   lost   motion   has  been  eliminated   as 


View   of  Thatchci    Milk   Bottle   Plant. 


Streator  branch  has  had  a  vigorous  growth, 
liowevei",  and  now  equals  in  size  its  parent 
plant.  It  was  l)nilt  in  l!tOO  as  a  one-furnace 
factory  and  the  capacity  was  doubled  in  ]!M1, 
when  another  furnace  was  added. 


far  as  jiossible  by  tiie  ai)i)lication  of  modern 
scientific  processes.  From  the  time  the  raw 
materials  enter  the  factory  until  the  finished 
product  is  delivered  in  the  warehouse  it  is  car- 
ried along  its  journey  by  automatic  machinery 


14 


THE  STORY  OP  STBEATOR. 


and  scarct-ly  toucliecl  by  haud  at  auy  point. 
The  materials  for  the  making  of  glass  are  re- 
ceived on  their  entrance  to  the  factory  by  a 
power  shovel.  They  are  carried  to  their  bins 
by  conveyors,  the  batch  is  mixed  and  the  pro- 
portion of  sand,  soda-ash,  lime  and  uiti-ate  of 
soda  is  accurately  weighed  by  automatic  pro- 
cess. It  is  conveyed  to  the  furnace  and  melt- 
ed by  producer  gas,  and  the  liquid  glass  is 
sucked  up  by  the  vacuum  pumj?  attached  to  the 
Owens'  machine,  and  that  wonderful  machine 
converts  the  molten  mass  into  a  finished  and 
perfect  glass  p.r.  Without  l^eing  touched  by 
hand  the  red  hot  jar  is  carried  to  the  lehrs, 
where  it  is  annealed,  and  from  there  conveyed 
by  automatic  carrier  to  the  warehouse.  Had 
George  Eliot  seen  this  marvel  of  automatism 
she  would  have  realized  that  her  dream  of  a 
mechanical  age  in  "Theophratus  Sucli"  had 
arrived. 

Superiority  of  Machine  Product. 

The  Thatcher  Manufacturing  Company  be- 
gan its  career  in  New  York  state  as  a  manu- 
facturer of  butter  color  and  cheese  color  and 
later  became  interested  in  the  making  of  the 
milk  jar  caps  known  as  the  Common  Sense 
Cap.  Tills  led  it  in  the  direction  of  the  milk 
jar  business,  and  it  later  became  the  greatest 
jobber  of  jars  in  the  country.  Witli  the  in- 
vention of  the  Owens'  machine  bottle  blower  it 
became  apparent  that  the  making  of  glass  jars 
was  about  to  be  revolutionized,  and  that  who- 
ever obtained  control  of  the  invention  would 
command  the  business.  Already  in  command 
of  a  large  proportion  of  the  jobbing  trade  the 
Thatcher  ^Manufacturing  Company  now  felt 
impelled  to  engage  in  manufacturing,  and  in 
1906  built  their  first  furnace  in  Kane,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  equipped  it  with  the  Owens'  ma- 
chine. Soon  it  became  necessary  to  add  an- 
other furnace,  and  now  plans  are  being  drawn 
for  a  third.  Meantime  two  furnaces  have 
been  built  in  Streator,  and  the  comi3any  has  a 
capacity  of  180,000  gross  of  jars  per  annum. 

What  is  the  reason  for  this  remarkable 
success? 

In  a  word,  it  is  due  to  the  superiority  of 
the  machine  product  over  that  j^rodueed  by  the 
old  methods.  Under  the  old  system  it  was 
foimd  impossible  to  make  jars  of  uniform 
strength,  thickness  and  capacity.  Always  there 
was  some  spot  thinner  than  another,  and  hu- 
man hand  and  eye  found  it  difficult  to  make 
two  jars  of  exactly  the  same  capacity'.  These 
difficulties  are  all  overcome  by  the  machine 
jar,  which  makes  each  jar  exactly  alike  and 
equally  perfect.     This  uniformity    is  growing 


of  more  importance  daily  as  cities  are  requir- 
ing by  ordinance  that  milk  jars  must  confoi-m 
to  certain  standards  of  size  with  a  very  small 
margin  of  variation. 

Captured  the  Market. 

With  these  advantages  it  is  natural  that 
the  Thatcher  milk  bottle  captux*ed  the  market. 
The  Streator  product  now  supplies  the  greater 
share  of  the  Chicago  trade,  and  its  market 
goes  east  as  far  as  Ohio,  west  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  north  into  Canada.  The  south  is 
just  opening  up  for  the  milk  jar  trade  and 
when  it  develops  it  will  cause  another  expan- 
sion of  tlie  industrv. 


E.   J.   Pittman,   Asst.   Supt. 

The  officers  are  F.  E.  Baldwin,  president; 
E.  W.  Niver,  general  superintendent;  and  E. 
J.  Pittman,  assistant  superintendent  in  charge 
of  the  Streator  factor)'.  Mr.  Pittman  is  an 
example  of  the  t.ypical  American  boy  of  today 
who  by  thorough  technological  training  fit- 
ted himself  early  to  take  charge  of  an  impor- 
tant factory.  At  the  age  of  twenty-seven  he  is 
superintending  with  success  the  operations  of 
a  complicated  industry  and  the  labors  of  a 
hundred  men. 

Born  in  SjTacuse,  N.  Y.,  in  1885,  he  had  the 
usual  common  school  training,  finished  in  El- 
mira  High  School  and    Cazanovia    Seminary, 


Till-:  STf>I5Y  OP  STREATOK. 


in 


then  took  a  course  in  the  Ij.  C.  Smith  School 
of  Applied  Sciences,  Syracuse  University,  and 
took  degree  of  E.  K.  Was  draftsman  for  an 
organ  factory,  tiien  joined  tlie  forces  of  the 
Thatcher  Manufacturing  ('oiiipany,  and  cam(> 
to  Streator  for  that  company  in  1!H)9.  In  Au- 
gust 1911  was  married  to  Miss  K.  Louise  Shep- 
ard,  Montour  Falls,  N.  Y. 

Asked  why  liis  company     had     located     in 
Streator  rather  tlian  some  other  town  Mr.  Pitt- 


man  replied:  "The  company  had  in  fact  chosen 
another  location,  hut  heiug  waited  on  by  a 
committee  of  Streator  citizens,  who  presented 
the  advantages  of  Streator,  the  change  was 
made.  There  was  no  bonus.  The  suiiei'ior  rail- 
road advantages,  the  local  coal  supply,  and  the 
])roximity  to  abundance  of  good  sand  were  the 
main  considerations.  It  was  a  fortunate  selec- 
tion, and  we  are  well  satisfied  here." 


THE  WESTERN  GLASS  COMPANY 


The  "Western  (iiass  Company  was  organized 
in  1S1H>  and  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
wire  and  rolletl  idate  glass,  largely  used  for 
fire  retarding  purposes. 

At  tiie  present  time  the  factorj'  has  an  out- 
put of  three  million  'itiuare  feet  of  rolled  plate 
glass  annually.  It  covers  four  acres  of  ground 
and  employs  about  one  hundred  men.  The 
active  heads  of  the  ctimpany  are  C.  K.  liyon. 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  ClcMuent  .lungers, 
Suiierintendent.  Mr.  AV.  J.  Williams  is 
president. 


i 

1 

1 

^^^ 

1  "^ 

ff 

,Y 

s 

1 

V 

s 

I 

V 

i.'  —^'- 

.-'T, 

ShK- 

'>.^ 


Section  of  Wire  Glass. 

The  trade  of  the  com]3any  extends  all  over 
the  United  States  and  some  of  it  is  exjiorted  to 
foreign  ports.  About  eighty  per  cent  of  the 
wire  glass  used  in  the  "loop  district,"  Chicago 
last  year  was  the  product  of  The  Western 
(ilass  Company.  Tlie  comiiany  make-;  all  kinds 
of  skylight  and  figured  glass,  rougli  and  pol- 
ished wire  glass,  in  fact  specializes  in  the  mak- 
ing of  fire  retarding-  glass  ))rodurfs. 

Growth  of  Wire  Glass  Industry. 

Among  the  most  important  measures  urged 


to  reduce  the  tin-  waste  is  the  employment  of 
wire  glass  in  construction.  Wherever  an  out- 
side window  exposes  a  building  to  fire  from  an 
adjoining  risk  the  requirement  of  the  under- 
writers is  that  such  a  window,  to  be  api>roved. 
should  be  ]irotected  liy  wire  glass  set  in  a  metal 
shutter,  it  is  a  connnon  exjiei-ience  that  the 
heat  from  a  burning  building  is  intense  enough 
to  break  the  ordinary  window  glass  across  the 
street  and  set  the  stnicture  on  fire.  Tlie  pro- 
tection from  such  a  danger  urged  by  insurance 
men  is  that  buildings  be  equipped  with  ap- 
l)roved  wired  glass  set  in  ap])roved  metal  shut- 
ters. Kven  if  the  glass  cracks  the  wire  holds  it 
in  place  and  prevents  the  fire  from  entering. 

Additional  confirmation  of  the  fire-retard- 
ing value  of  wired  glass  has  been  given  re- 
cently l)y  two  great  conflagrations  in  San 
Francisco  and  I'altimore.  The  ftmner  furnish- 
ed the  remarkable  testimony  of  the  California 
Electrical  Works  sent  liy  wire  after  the  earth- 
(piake  conflagration  to  tlie  Western  Electric 
Coinpiiny,  of  Chicago,  saying: 

"Our  building  stands  like  a  monnment  in  a 
desert — saved  by  wire  glass,  watchman  and 
water  tanks." 

Approved  By  Insurance  Experts. 

Wired  glass  is  now  ajjproved  and  required 
by  insurance  experts,  engineei's  and  factory 
a.ssociations.  Albert  Blanveldt,  manager  of  the 
Western  Factory  Insurance  Association,  has 
gone  so  far  as  to  say  in  a  convention  of  fire 
l)revention  exjterts:  "I  think  this  subject  of 
wire  glass  is  the  very  one  in  which  the  best 
hopes  of  this  association  reside.  It  has  im- 
pressed me  that  wire  glass  is  the  best  material 
we  have,  because  it  has  by  far  the  best  psycho- 
logical position.  *  *  *  Wire  glass  is  a  solid  and 
visible  piece  of  constniction  that  appeals  to 
the  arehiteet  and  property  owner,  and  they  will 


16 


THE  STORV  OF  STREATOK. 


spend  their  money  on  it,  to  my  mind,  with  more 
freedom  than  on  anything  else.  Cities  are 
growing  taller  and  bigger  all  over  the  country, 
and  they  are  going  to  burn  to  a  standstill  be- 
fore tliey  get  thi-ough.  Fires  will  compel 
something  to  be  done  and  something  radical, 
sooner  or  later — if  not  in  our  day,  then  in  our 
successors'  day.  I  am  becoming  convinced 
that  wire  glass  is  the  most  feasible  thing  to  ];ire- 
sent  to  the  public,  regardless  of  the  expense — 
and  I  am  going  to  work  for  it." 

It  is  seldom  that  we  recognize  the  forces  of 
pi'ogress  that  come  nearest  us,  and  tlie  forego- 
ing facts  are  given  to  show  how  closely  the 
interests  of  this  industry  are  allied  with  one  of 
the  most  important  refonns  now  going  on  in 
this  country.  Even  in  the  veiy  home  of  wired 
glass  it  is  doubtful  if  its  values    are  as     well 


known  as  they  should  be  by  architects  and 
builders,  for  some  of  the  best  structures  recent- 
ly erected  show  an  absence  of  elementary 
knowledge  of  fire-retarding'  construction — es- 
pecially in  the  matter  of  wired  glass.  Happily, 
however,  the  knowledge  is  spreading  and  the 
success  of  the  industry  is  assured  by  the  awak- 
ening conscience  of  builders  all  over  the  land. 
For  the  product  of  the  Western  Glass  ("ompauy 
has  found  a.  high  place  in  the  estimation  of 
conscientious  architects  and  constnu-tors  ev- 
erywhere; it  has  passed  siTCcessfnlly  the  most 
rigorous  underwriters'  laboratory  tests;  and  it 
has  stood  the  more  practical  demonstration 
of  actual  trial  by  fire.  In  all  it  has  emerged 
victorious,  and  won  a  iilace  for  the  Streator 
product  at  the  very  head  of  the  wired  glass 
trade  of  America. 


Main  street,  west  from  Sterling  street. 


THE  STORY  OF  STRKATOH. 


17 


PRONOUNCED   ABSOLUTELY  UNEQUALED  FOR  THE  MAKING  OF 
BRICK  AND  ALL  SHALE  PRODUCTS. 


More  than  in  any  otlii-r  one  industry  the 
fnlnrc  of  Streator  is  lioiiiul  n\t  in  tlie  sinj^le 
wold — shale.  Sliale  is  to  Streator  what  ^old 
is  to  tlie  Yukon,  or  silver  is  to  Butte.  It  lies 
piled  up  in  unmea.sured  millions  of  tons  alouf^ 
the  streams  and  water-courses  awaitinj?  only 
the  cajiital  and  the  enterprise  to  devehip  it. 
During  the  brief  jjeriod  of  its  develo]jnient 
large  profits  have  been  made,  and  firreat  for- 
tunes lie  looked  in  the  sliale  beds  ready  for 
the  hand  that  shall  open  them.  More  certain 
than  fjold  fields,  niore  stalile  than  oil  wells, 
less  precarious  than  coal  mines,  the  .shale  in- 
dustry offers  an  investment  as  durable  as  the 
use  of  lirick.  and  as  certain  of  profit  as  the 
fi;reat  Xorth  west  is  of  exi>ansion.  With  the 
increa.sed  use  of  shale  brick  for  paving  cities, 
villages  and  country  roads,  for  building  and 
other  u.ses,  and  with  Streator's  unusual  advan- 
tages, its  position  as  a  ]>roducer  is  destined  to 
be  second  to  none  in  the  west. 

Its  pre-eminence  as  a  ]>roducer  of  clay  pro- 
ducts is  duo  to  the  advantages,  namely: 

1— Situation.  Its  situation  as  the  extreme 
northern  outcropping  of  the  shale  beds,  and  its 
con.setpient  comiiiaiid  of  an  Jinsupplied  terri- 
tory, which  is  tln'  greatest  market  in  the  world 
— C'hicatro  and  tlic  northwest. 

2-  Raw  Material.  The  cheapness,  extent 
and  quality  of  its  clay  beds,  together  with  su- 
jieriorily  of  inodiirt  jind  economy  of  production. 

3— Freight  Rates.  It  costs  two-tiiirds  of  a 
cent  per  mile  jier  ton  to  move  brick  to  one  of 
its  greatest  markets — Chicago.  Its  rate  to  that 
point  is  (i5  cents  j)er  ton,  which  is  50  cents  per 
thousand  cheaper  than  its  nearest  competitor. 

Extent  of  Shale  Beds. 

Streator's  shale  ilcpnsits  are  superimposed 
on  the  coal  measures  and  cover  several  thous- 
and acres  of  territoiy.  They  are  from  25  to 
40  feet  in  thickness  and  are  cleft  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground  to  the  coal  seam  by  the  Ver- 
million river,  and  by  half  a  dozen  tributaiy 
creeks,  so  that     their  faces    are  exposed     and 


made  accessible  for  strii)ping  for  considerable 
distances  along  these  streams.  It  is  estimated 
that  a  factory  making  100.000  brick  daily  will 
consume  about  one  acre  of  shale  in  a  year.  At 
this  rate  it  will  be  seen  that  these  shale  beds 
will  last  hundreds  of  years,  and  are  practically 
inexhaustii)Ie. 

The  covering  over  tlie  shale  is  of  workable 
thickness  and  is  removed  by  hydraulic  process, 
by  steam  shovel,  or  by  hand.  The  valleys 
created  by  the  streams,  which  out  through  the 
shale  beds,  furnish  a  convenient  place  for 
dumping  the  dirt  at  a  minimum  of  cost.  After 
the  covering  is  stripped  the  shale  itself  is  eas- 
ily dug  and  loaded  into  cars  rea<ly  for  dum])ing 
into  the  grinding  i)aii.  The  average  cost  of 
delivering  the  shale  at  the  pan,  including  the 
cost  of  land,  is  estimated  to  he  about  30  cents 
per  ton. 

During  the  early  years  of  Streator's  growth 
brick  were  made  of  .surface  clay,  but  in  18!»3 
the  first  shale  brick  was  made  and  since  that 
time  the  surface  day  is  no  longer  used.  The 
shale  industry  has  develojied  rajndly  until 
there  are  now  four  important  factories  making 
shale  i)roducts,  one  of  them  employing  250 
men.  This  growth  is  the  best  possible  demon- 
stration of  the  advantages  of  Streator  as  a 
manufacturer  of  shale  products.  The  surface 
of  this  industry  has  been  barely  scratched  as 
yet,  and  oj)portunities  as  jiromising  as  any 
that  have  been  develojied  may  be  had  by  the 
score. 

Quality  of  Shale  Products. 

The  products  made  from  Streator  shale  are 
vitrified  {laving  and  Iniilding  brick,  drain  tile 
and  .sewer  pipe,  the  mixture  for  the  latter  be- 
ing strengthened  by  the  addition  of  a  low 
grade  fire  clay,  also  found  here.  The  charac- 
teristics of  the  brick  are  their  strength,  tough- 
ness, texture;  their  ability  to  stand  wear, 
to  be  highly  vitrified,  to  be  non-absorbent,  and 
to  burn  with  a  characteristic  dark  color.  The 
shale  is  not  tender  or  brittle,  and  does  not  need 
to  be  handled  delicately  in  handling  or  bum- 


18 


THE  STORY  OP  STRKATOR. 


iun'.  It  has  withstood  tlie  most  severe  seieu- 
tific  tests,  rattler,  absorption  and  hreakinp: 
strain,  and  its  acceptance  in  cities  lilve  Chi- 
cago, St.  Lonis,  Kansas  City,  attests  its  super- 
ior quality.  Streator  brick  have  been  shipped 
to  Winniitet;-,  Toronto  and  Uuluth  on  the 
north,  to  X'icksliurg,  New  Orleans  and  Panama 
on  the  south,  and  to  Kansas  City  and  Omaha 
on  the  west. 

"Shale  Absolutely  Unequaled." 

Supt.  Whiting,  of  the  Streator  Paving 
Brick  Company,  on  being  asked  for  an  cpinion 
said:  "You  can  say  Streator  shale  has  got  all 
other  shales  in  the  world  beat.  There  are  no 
better  paving  brick  made  on  earth  than  ave 
made  here,  and  for  number  and  variety  of  uses 
to  wi:)ich  it  can  be  put  Streator  shale  is  abso- 
lutely une(]ualed.  For  building  brick,  you 
can  get  any  shade  of  color  desired — rod,  me- 
dium, chocolate  or  black,  and  as  fine  a  surface 
as  was  ever  jiut  on  a  face  brick." 

Potter's  Clay  and  Fire  Clay. 
One  of  the  most  promising  of  the  undevel- 


oped prospects  is  the  potter's  clay  which  has 
been  discovered  in  great  (jiiantities  three  and 
a  half  miles  from  the  city.  Elaborate  tests 
were  made  by  the  Streator  Improvement  As- 
sociation and  it  was  found  superior  in  every 
test.  It  burns  naturally  a  bright  cherry  red, 
and  will  take  any  kind  of  glaze.  The  exjiert 
tester  tried  it  with  pink,  blue,  green  and  other 
colors,  and  found  every  one  to  stand  well. 

It  was  tested  by  the  Laclede  Chi-isty  Clay 
Co.,  l)y  the  ceramic  department  at  the  state 
university  and  at  the  i^ottery  at  Macomb,  111., 
and  was  found  of  fine  quality,  rich  in  kaolin, 
and  fit  for  any  of  the  uses  to  which  potters' 
clay  is  ])ut.  At  ]Momence  it  was  tested  as  a 
foundation  for  enameled  brick  and  found  sat- 
isfactory. The  clay  is  found  in  a  bed  ten 
feet  thick,  covered  by  four  feet  of  coal;  it  is 
abundant  in  (piantity  and  easy  of  access. 

A  seam  of  low  grade  fire  clay  is  found  be- 
neath the  lower  vein  of  coal,  suitable  for  fire- 
})roofiug,  sewer  pipe  and  the  like.  It  is  mixed 
M'ith  shale  and  used  by  the  Streator  Clay 
^Manufacturing  Comjiany  in  the  making  of 
sewer  i^ipe. 


THE  BARR  CLAY   COMPANY 


The  most  important  representative  of  the 
shale  industry  in  Streator  is  the  Barr  Clay 
Company.  Its  ])lant  is  situated  on  the  Vermil- 
lion Kiver  about  one  mile  south  of  the  city.  The 
plant  was  established  in  1893,  and  the  first 
brick  were  made  in  189-1.  It  began  with  a  ca- 
pacity of  50,000  brick  daily,  which  has  increas- 
ed until  today  it  has  a  ca])acity  of  '200,000 
brick  daily.  It  owns  150  acres  of  good  shale 
land,  and  emplovs  when  running  full  capacitv, 
300  to  325  men. " 

The  growth  of  its  business  is  the  best  evi- 
dence of  the  quality  of  its  product.  During  the 
eighteen  years  of  its  existence  its  brick  has 
won  its  way  into  the  best  markets  in  the  west, 
and  have  passed  the  most  severe  tests.  Great 
municipalities  like  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  have 
set  the  seal  of  their  approval  on  the  Barr 
brick.  In  the  cnicial  absoii^tion  and  rattler 
tests  they  have  emerged  victorious,  in  the  latter 
sometimes  passing  as  high  as  eleven  per  cent 
when  the  standard  was  twenty  per  cent. 

About  two  years  ago  the  capacity  of  the 
plant  was  doubled  and  the  factory  is  now 
among  the  most  modern  and  up-to-date  in  its 


equipment  in  the  west.  It  uses  the  waste  heat 
system  in  drying,  and  burns  its  brick  under  re- 
ducing conditions.  It  operates  its  machinery 
by  electric  jjower,  using  a  dynamo  of  300  horse 
power,  with  which  it  runs  its  pumps,  hoists, 
]mg  mill  and  its  big  brick  machines,  which  are 
among  the  biggest  and  strongest  nuide.  The 
covering  is  stripi)ed  off  its  shale  beik  by  hy- 
draulic process,  and  by  steam  shovel.  The 
shale  itself  is  dug  and  loaded  by  a  large  85-ton 
Bucyrus  shovel. 

The  company  is  capitalized  at  $000,000.  Mr. 
C.  C.  Barr  is  president  and  principal  stock- 
holder. 

Brick  Paving-  for  Country  Roads. 

The  product  of  the  comi)any  is  mainly  used 
for  paving  purposes  and  is  marketed  in  the 
west  and  northwest.  The  fact  that  Mr.  Barr 
recently  doubled  his  plant  is  evidence  that  he 
is  an  optimist  on  the  future  of  brick  paving. 
He  sees  the  cities  and  villages  of  the  middle 
Avest  as  inevitably  bound  to  pave  all  of  their 
streets  sooner  or  later  with  vitrified  brick,  the 
most  durable,     the  most    practical,     the    most 


THI-:  STORY  OF  STHKATOlt. 


19 


economical  material  tor  tlie  purpose.  Not  only 
that,  bnt  he  sees  the  einerf^ence  of  the  eountrj- 
road  from  its  jonjj  burial  in  the  mud  and  the 
awakeninj^  of  the  farmers  from  their  Ion.;;' 
Ietlu;rii:v.     The  eominu:  "I'  the  aiitdiiinhilo  onto 


the  farm  is  j^oin;;-  to  make  a  demand  for  vitri- 
fied brick  ])avin,ij:,  which  is  Koing  to  grid-iron 
this  country  from  one  end  to  the  other  and 
make  it  as  easy  to  travel  and  haul  loads  as  it  is 
in  Kurope. 


A   view   of   a    Hrl(k-Paveil    Road    V.  itii    Dirt    Road    Along   Side  of   It. 


Three  Hundred  Miles  of  Brick  Roads. 

The  world  is  awakening  to  a  realization  of 
the  necessity  for  better  c(nintry  ro.ids.  The 
average  countrv  road  i<a  reflection  ujjon  our 
civilization.  The  condition  is  jiardonable  in 
districts  wliere  good  paving  material  <  aniiot  be 
liad,  but  where  the  linest  irrade  of  ]»aving  brick 
can  be  had  and  where  the  hauling  j/xpense  is 
minimized,  it  is  inexcusable. 

Cuyahoga  County.  Ohio,  has  three  hundred 
miles  of  brick-paved  country  roa<ls  and  the 
jx'ople  there  are  enthusiastic  over  the  result. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  engineers  of  Cleveland. 
Ohio,  recently  .\iidrew  P).  Lee,    County     Kngi 
neer  of  Cuyahoga  County,  read  a  papi'r,  and  the 
following  are  extracts  therefrom: 

"In  Cuvahoga  Countv,  Ohio,  where  I  have 


had  exjierience  in  the  construction  of  several 
hundred  mile-;  of  ])avenient  of  dilTerent  tyi>es, 
1  found  that  the  ideal  pavement  for  country 
roads  was  brick. 

Brick  is  the  chea])est  antl  best  i)avement 
that  can  be  used,  all  things  considered. 

Some  of  the  roads  in  that  country  were  con- 
structed twelve  years  airo,  and  !Mr.  Lee  says 
that  the  upkeep  since  has  cost  ijracticallv 
nothing. 

.\  clay  road  is  l)uilt  for  today,  or  at  least, 
until  the  next  rainfall.  A  brick  i)aved  road 
endures  throuuh  the  years. 

.\part  from  the  increased  value  of  adjoining 
farm  lands;  ai)art  from  the  cleanliness,  the 
beauty,  the  (piadruple  utility  and  comfort,  the 
brick  road,  wlien  the  cost  of  repairs  is  taken 
into  account,  is  absolutely  the  cheapest." 


THE  STREATOR  CLAY  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 


The  work  of  this  company  illustrates  the 
variety  as  well  as  the  extent  of  Streator's  clay 
resources.     Its  product     is  made  of    fire    clay 


mined  2:M\  feet  below  tlie  surface.  It  special- 
izes in  double  strength  sewer  pii)e  for  munici- 
pal contracts;  also  makes  fire  clay  flue  lining, 


20 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


and  a  vitrified  wall  coping  wliich  has  a  dark, 
rich  color,  which  is  largely  used  in  Chicago. 
The  product  finds  a  ready  market  in  Illinois, 
Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  the  Dakotas, 
so  that  the  i;)lant  has  been  run  without  intcr- 
niption  to  its  full  capacity  since  the  inception 
of  the  laresent  management.  It  has  just  obtain- 
ed the  contract  to  furnish  the  city  of  Minne- 
apolis with  sewer  pipe  for  the  current  year. 

The  Streator  sewer  pipe  is  prized  for  its 
great  strength  and  high  quality.  In  many  com- 
petitive tests  it  has  scored  heavily  against  its 
rivals  by  showing  the  lowest  percentage  of  ab- 
sor|3tion  of  any  of  the  pipe  tested.     The  drain 


superintendent. 

The  Streator  Clay  Manufacturing  Company 
was  organized  by  James  L.  Daugherty  and  his 
associates  in  1892.  Tliey  came  from  Ohio,  and 
after  thoroughly  examining  every  other  avail- 
able location,  decided  to  plant  their  factory  in 
Streator.  They  operated  it  with  success  for 
sixteen  years,  when  they  sold  the  prn^ierty  to 
Mr.  E.  H.  Green  and  his  associates.  The  latter 
were  among  the  largest  sewer  conti'actors  in 
the  west,  having  been  awarded  such  contracts 
as  the  reconstruction  of  the  La  Salle  street  tun- 
nel under  tlie  Chicago  river,  wliieh  they  suc- 
cessfully completed.     Their    attention    was  at- 


The   Streator   Clay   Co.'s   Plant. 


tile  made  by  this  company  is  made  of  the  same 
material  as  the  sewer  pipe,  and  therefore  much 
superior  to  the  tile  made  of  other  materials.  It 
is  made  only  in  large  sizes.  The  tiue  lining  is 
also  of  fire  clay,  which  gives  it  a  value  not  to 
be  found  in  the  more  common  sort. 

The  plant  of  the  company  is  located  about 
a  mile  south  of  the  city,  and  covers  about  fif- 
teen acres.  It  employs  about  165  men.  and  the 
output  for  the  last  year  was  2,000  cars  of  ware. 
The  value  of  the  investment  in  Streator  is 
$300,000.  The  executive  staff  consists  of  E.  H. 
Green,  president  and  general  manager;  G.  E. 
Connolly,  assistant  manager,  and  James  Park, 


traeted  to  the  superior  quality  of  the  Streator 
product,  and  so  imjiressed  were  they  by  the 
advantages  possessed  that  they  bought  the 
factory. 

Just  one  year  after  they  had  become  its 
owners  the  factory  burned  down.  ^A'ith  char- 
acteristic vigor  they  went  at  the  work  of  re- 
building, and  within  six  months  from  the  time 
of  the  fire  they  had  the  factory  relniilt  and 
running  with  double  its  former  capacity.  The 
kiln  capacity  was  also  doubled  and  they  now 
have  an  output  of  2,000  cars  of  ware  per  year, 
and  a  demand  for  it  all  that  keeps  the  factory 
in  continuous  oi^eration. 


THK  STOHV  OF  STHi: ATftR. 


21 


THE  STREATOR  PAVING  BRICK  COMPANY 


Tilt'  Strcator  Pavinj.'  Brick  Company  was 
formed  by  tlie  consolid.tion  of  the  Streator 
Tile  Works,  tlu'  Kim^lc  ( 'l;iy  ("om])aii>"  aiul  tlie 
Strcator  l>rick  Works.  'I'licse  \vei>'  the  i)ioiieer 
brick  works  of  the  town,  the  oldest  of  them  be- 
ing organized  in  1881.  Tlie  men  who  were  the 
leading  spirits  in  tliese  jjioiieer  factories  re- 
main with  the  jirosent  organization,  and  give 
to  it  a  brick-making  cxiicrirnfc  of  over  thirty 
years  in  Streator. 

The  present  factory  was  rebuilt  and  en- 
larged in  liMl-liMJ,  and  is  sjilendidly  housed 
and  equijiijed,  with  the  best  known  api)liances 
for  economic  production.  Althongh  originally 
designed  for  the  nianulacture  of  paving  l)rick, 
the  demand  for  its  pnxhict  for  building  jnir- 
jtoses  grew  so  great  that  the  larger  share  of  it.=; 
output  is  now  used  as  face  brick  for  fire  build- 
ings in  Chicago  and  the  north-west. 

Among  the  striking;  structures  in  which  the 
lirick  of  this  comiiany  are  used  are  the  front  of 
the  new  Cort  Theatre.  Chicago;  the  wholesale 
•grocery  waiehouse  buililiug  of  W.  M.  Iloyt 
Company;  the  ollice  l)uilding  of  (iinn  &  Co., 
jirinters;  the  Koidsatt  bakery  building;  on  Wa- 
bash Avenue;  and  llie  l)uil(ling  of  the  Rogers 
^:  ll.ill.  printers.  These  are  of  fine  architec- 
tural i)roporlions  and  ilhistrate  the  new  u.se  of 
colored  shale  brick  in  the  finer  forms  of  build- 
ing in  Cliicago.  The  product  of  this  company 
is  also  in  demand  for  the  liner  sort  of  residence 
au<l  apaitmi'Mt  buildings.  One  of  the  most 
uni(|Ue  examples  in  "Tlu-  i'l.ibli'-."  one  of  tlx' 


finest  aiiartmeiit  buildings  in  the  city,  with  sun 
]iarlors,  jirivate  ball  rooms,  and  many  novel 
features.  The  jjrivate  residence  of  Mr.  Joy 
Morton  on  the  Lake  Shore  Drive  is  built  of 
these  brick,  as  are  many  other  of  the  best 
homes  in  Chicago. 

The  special  features  for  which  these  brick 
are  noted  are  their  fine  colors  and  shades, 
ranging  from  the  lighter  reds  to  the  deep 
browns,  chocolates  and  even  blacks;  the  artis- 
tic use  of  whicli  give  warm  and  agreeable 
blendings  of  color  wiiich  are  much  sought  after 
by  modem  architects  and  builders.  These  spe- 
cial color  effects  have  given  a  wide  demand  for 
these  brick,  and  they  have  been  shijiped  as  far 
east  as  Washinnton,  I).  ('..  and  as  far  west  as 
Holdredge.  Nebraska.  On  the  north  they  have 
been  sold  in  Winni]>eg,  Canada,  and  on  the 
south  in  \'icksburg,  ^liss.  Of  course  they  have 
been  largely  used  at  home,  and  such  fine  j>ub- 
lic  buildings  as  the  (irant  school,  the  New  Elks' 
building,  the  Postollice.  St.  Anthony's  church, 
the  Christian  church,  the  (ierman  Evangelical 
church  iire  faced  with  them. 

Among  the  fine  Streator  residences  using 
the  rare  color  effects  of  these  brick  for  facing 
are  the  new  Dr.  Dorsey  home,  the  new  subur- 
ban residence  of  F.  Plumb,  the  new  A.  Ander- 
.son  house,  and  many  others. 

The  officers  of  the  Streator  Paving  Brick 
Comjiany  are  V.  Phunb.  i)resident;  E.  F.  Plumb, 
vice  iiresident;  (ieorge  (ioulding.  secretary' 
and  f ri'asuiiT;  Frank  Whiting,  su})erinteudent. 


22 


THK  STORY  OP  STREATOR. 


STREATOR'S  COAL  MINES 

SECOND  INDUSTRY  OF  CITY  IN  POINT    OF    MAGNITUDE. 


Coal  mining  was  for  many  years  the  domi- 
nant industry  of  Streator,  and  only  within  the 
past  decade  has  it  been  obliged  to  take  second 
place  by  reason  of  the  great  extension  of  the 
glass  business.  There  are  two  workable  seams 
of  coal  in  Streator,  known  popularly  as  the 
to]i  vein  and  the  third  vein,  and  geologically 
designated  as  No.  7  and  No.  2  respectively.  The 
top  vein  is  from  tive  to  six  feet  in  thickness. 
It  is  remarkably  rich  in  carbon  and  greatly 
.sought  for  as  a  steam  coal.  The  mining  of  this 
seam  was  the  main  industrial  support  of  the 
town  for  the  tirst  twenty  years  of  its  existence, 
but  the  field  is  limited  in  area,  and  although 
there  is  jtlenty  to  su]ii)ly  local  demands  for 
man}'  years  to  come,  its  use  as  a  ship]nng  coal 
will  be  less  extensive  in  the  future.  There  are 
a  number  of  locations  for  mines  in  this  seam 
remaining,  and  the  C.  W.  &  V.  Coal  Company 
is  just  now  pi-ospecting  one  of  320  acres. 

The  pre-eminence  of  the  top  vein  hindered 
the  development  of  the  lower  vein  for  many 
years,  although  it  had  been  the  main  slapie  in 
coal  production  in  the  other  mining  district:;  in 
Northern  Illinois.  But  now,  with  the  dimin- 
isliing  ]iroduction  in  the  upper  vein,  recorrse 
is  being  had  to  the  lower,  and  the  leading  coal 


company  is  now  operating  its  most  important 
mine  in  that  seam. 

The  third  vein  lias  the  advantage  of  being 
practically  inexhaustible.  It  is  estimated  that 
there  is  not  less  than  20,000  acres  of  workable 
third  vein  coal  in  and  about  Streator.  It  is 
worked  on  the  "long  wall"  plan,  and  the  pay 
roll  of  the  mine  now  operating  indicates  that 
the  earning  power  of  the  miners  is  greater  than 
in  the  thicker  seam.  The  quality  of  the  coal  is 
demonstrated  by  one  of  its  chief  users,  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  whose  fuel  inspector  has  just 
stated  that  it  is  "the  best  engine  coal  they  have 
ever  had  from  Northern  Illinois." 

President  T.  A.  Lennon,  of  the  C.  W.  &  V. 
Coal  Comjjany,  which  has  been  ojjerating  the 
lower  vein  mine  for  a  number  of  years,  says: 
"We  have  5,000  acres  of  that  coal  in  and  about 
Streator,  and  we  mean  to  take  out  every  acre 
of  it."  This  guai-antees  that  Streator  will  be 
an  important  coal  producing  point  for  many 
decades. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  fourteen 
mines  in  operation,  wliicli  give  emiiloyment  to 
about  1,000  men,  the  principal  producers  being 
the  Chicago,  Wilmington  &  Vermillion  and  the 
Acme  Coal  Comjianies. 


CHICAGO,  WILMINGTON  &  VERMILLION  COAL  COMPANY 


The  ^'ermillion  Coal  ('om])auy  was  the  pio- 
neer in  the  mining  industry  in  Streator.  It 
o))eued  here  the  tirst  shipping  mines,  and  was 
instrumental  in  promoting  the  first  lines  of 
railroad  to  carry  its  coal  to  the  market.  Col. 
Hal|)h  Plumb,  revered  as  the  founder  and  bene- 
factor of  the  town,  was  the  first  general  man- 
ager, and  its  early  development  was  conducted 
under  his  direction.  Its  first  opening  was  a 
drift  in  the  side  of  the  bluff,  near  tlu;  Vermil- 
lion River,  on  a  site  now  covered  by  the  West 
F'actory    of    the  American    Bottle    Company, 


which  later  came  to  be    known  as    the    "Old 
Slope." 

In  1872  the  Vennillion  Coal  Company  was 
consolidated  with  other  coal  interests,  and  has 
been  known  since  as  the  Chicago,  Wilmington 
&  Vermillion  Coal  Company.  In  those  days 
Streator  was  distinctively  a  mining  camp,  the 
superintendent  and  foremen  of  the  mines  were 
the  leading  citizens,  and  the  coal  company  was 
influential  in  shaping  the  destiny  of  the  town. 
It  may  be  jmt  down  to  its  credit  that  it  used  its 
influence  wisely  and  justly,  and  that  the  city  has 


THI-:  STOHV  Ol'  STIJKATOi:, 


23 


little  to  rcsiTct  and  iinicli  tt»  he  uratofiil  for  to 
till'  corporation  wliicli  wielded  sncli  a  jirepon- 
derant  influence  in  its  early  days. 

Fair  Treatment  of  Employees. 

Especially  is  it  iiidei)tei|  t  the  company  for 
its  fair  and  considerate  trci^tment  of  its  em- 
ployes at  a  time  when  such  orjifanizations  as  the 
Tnited  Mine  Workers  were  unformed,  and 
there  was  no  weapon  of  defense  for  the  miner 
except  the  individnal  strike.  It  maintained  a 
consistent  policy  of  liiich  jn-ices  for  Stii'ati>r  coal 
and  fi;ood  wajjes  for  its  men,  and  it  resulted  in 
.ii:ivinfj  its  collieries  a  reputation  for  <;:ood  work, 
jrood  jiay,  fr<»od  treatment,  that  drew  to  Strea- 
toi'  the  liest  class  of  miners  to  l)e  found  in  the 
(•owntry.  It  attracted  also  intelli.i^eiit  miners 
from  (treat  Hritian,  and  these  men  and  their 
desceiidenls  have  iriven  to  Streator  the  steady, 
intelliiicnt,  con.servative  workinirinan.  which 
has  lieen  the  solid  suh-tructure  of  its  citizenr>'. 

'IMiis  policy  of  the  "s(|uare  deal"  proved  as 
profital)le  to  the  company  as  to  tiie  workmen 
and  the  town.  The  coal  liusiness  prospered,  foi- 
twenty  yeais  the  ('.  W.  iV:  \'.  Co.  sent  a  monthly 
pay  roll  of  $.")(>.(tO(»  circnlatini;  throujjh  the 
iinancial  arteries  of  the  town,  the  miners  built 
their  homes,  figured  on  school  hoards  and  town 
cmincils  and  Itccame  its  respectetl  citizens.  For 
a  period  of  twelve  years  there  was  not  a  strike 
or  labor  trouble.  Two  ea.sualties  interrupted 
♦he  even  flow  of  events:  (1^  Prairie  Creek 
broke  through  into  Xo.  1  shaft  and  had  to  be 
diverted  into  a  new  cliannel  at  a  ureat  expense; 
and  (J)  the  explosion  of  a  powder  nKi;::azine 
shocked  the  town  and  destroyed  a  number  of 
iKUi.ses.  The  company  settled  the  losses  with 
out  litiiration. 


Tlie  presiding  t^enius  in  the  affairs  of  the  C. 
W.  (Jc  \'.  Coal  Company  during  these  years  was 
Mr.  A.  L.  Sweet,  whcse  years  and  experience 
nuike  him  the  nestor  amony  the  coal  nuMi  of  Il- 
linois. His  ri.nht  hand  man  was  Mr.  T.  A. 
Lemmon,  who  has  since  been  ))romoted  to  the 
jiresidency,  while  Mr.  Sweet  has  become  ehair- 
num  of  the  board.  Durinsj  the  same  years  the 
man  resjionsibJe  for  local  conditions  was  Supt. 
W.  S.  Cherry,  and  it  was  to  his  strong-  char- 
acter and  fine  ])ersonality  that  the  success,  of 
the  company  in  Streator  is  due.  The  present 
superintendent  is  Mr.  C.  A.  Herbert. 

Present  Output  and  Promise. 

At  the  present  time  the  C.  W.  &  \'.  Coal 
Company  is  ojterating  two  mines  in  Streator, 
one  in  the  upjter  and  one  in  the  lower  vein. 
They  are  miuiny;  altout  1200  tons  i)or  day, 
which  they  expect  to  increase  as  the  lU'W  mine 
develops.  They  still  own  about  ."),0(ll)  acres  of 
upper  vein  coal  in  Streator.  which  President 
Lemmon  .says  will  all  be  mined.  They  are  min- 
ing it  now  at  the  rate  of  fifty  acres  jter  year, 
and  if  this  rate  is  not  increased  it  can  be  read- 
ily seen  its  acreage  will  last  a  hundred  years. 

The  company  also  operates  a  large  mine  at 
Thayer,  III.,  and  is  about  to  open  one  of  the 
lari^est  mines  in  the  state  at  Orient,  in  I-'rank- 
liii  County.  There  it  has  purchased  (l.ddO  acres 
of  coal  eleven  feet  in  thickness,  on  which  it 
has  sunk  a  shaft  'A A  feet  deep.  e(|ni))ped  with 
the  most  approved  modern  mining  macliinery. 
Its  Streator  superintendent,  Mr.  C.  A.  Herbert, 
has  been  appointe<l  to  take  charge  of  this  im- 
portant work,  and  will  direct  its  development 
and  ojieration. 


THE  ACME  COAL  COMPANY 


( )ne  of  the  important  mining  coriioratious 
of  Streator  is  The  Acme  ('oal  Comjiany.  It 
has  been  o])erating  extensively  in  the  toji.  or 
No.  7  seam,  for  the  past  twenty  years,  and  has 
been  a  jjromineiit  factor,  especially  in  the  local 
f!'ade.  Its  mine  is  situated  at  flie  edge  of  the 
city  limits,  and  it  has  been  fa\(iial»ly  situated 
to  sui)ply  the  demand  of  local  factories  and 
residences. 

The  mine  was  ojiened  originally  in  1802  by 
K'obert  I-'airbaii'n,  Si-,  and  l-Mward  .\tkinson. 
IJotii  partners  were  re])resentative  of  the  best 
type  of  English  miners  who  migrated  to  Strea- 


toi-  at  an  cai-l\'  day.  They  worked  in  the  mines 
and  with  their  own  hands  dug  the  foundations 
of  their  future  com))etencies.  After  years  of 
industry  and  thrift  they  wejit  into  business  on 
their  own  account,  and  after  trying  ditTerent 
enteiprises  united  their  fortunes  in  the  mine 
now  known  as  the  "Acme." 

In  1808  the  partnership  was  changed  to  a 
cor])oration  known  as  "The  Acme  Coal  Com- 
pany," with  .lames  ('ondi'cn  as  ]'resident. 
Robert  Fairbairn.  vice  pi-esident,  and  Fdward 
Atkinson  as  suiierintendent.  During  tlie  twenty 
years  that  followed  the  company  prospered,  the 


24 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


mine  outgrew  the  original  idea  of  its  founders, 
railroad  connections  with  the  Santa  Fe  and 
Chicago  &  Alton  were  established,  and  it  be- 
came an  important  shipping  mine.  In  that 
time  about  400  acres,  or  approximately  2,800,- 
000  tons  of  coal  have  been  mined  by  the 
company. 

In  the  evolution  of  the  coal  trade  the  pre- 
paration of  the  product  for  the  market  has 
come  to  be  a  prime  necessity.    While    in    the 


was  sorted  into  three  sizes,  lump,  nut  and 
washed  screenings.  Tlie  washed  coals  found 
a  ready  market  and  became  favorites  in  the 
trade.  The  market  of  the  Acme  product  has 
been  the  territorj-  between  Streator  and  Chi- 
cago, and,  largely,  the  local  factories,  which 
consume  a  large  amount  of  fuel.  The  Santa 
Fe  railroad,  also,  has  been  a  large  bnyor  of 
Acme  coal. 

AVhen  the  original  founder,     Eobei  t    Fair- 


The  Acme  Coal  Company  Plant. 


early  days  the  trade  would  accejjt  anything 
tliat  looked  black,  it  has  steadily  grown  more 
critical  and  now  demands  the  most  careful 
cleaning,  sorting  and  sizing  of  the  product. 
The  Acme  Coal  Company  lias  been  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  special  preparation  of  its  pro- 
duct. It  early  established  a  coal  washing 
plant,  in  which  its  product  was  subjected  to  a 
thorough  treatment  by  which  the  impurities 
were  washed  away  from  the  coal.    The  product 


baiin,  Sr.,  of  the  Acme,  retired  from  active 
business,  the  management  passed  into  tlie  com- 
petent hands  of  his  sons,  Thomas  and  Robert 
J.  Fairbairn,  the  former  being  president,  and 
the  latter  being  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
company'.  They  have  another  mine  at  Fair- 
view,  111.,  and  have  some  other  coal  interests 
of  great  magnitude  in  which  they  are  about  to 
engage. 


THK  STOin    OK  STHK.VTOH. 


25 


THE  ILLINOIS  SELLING  COMPANY 


Strealor  is  situated  in  tiic  iiieat  (urn  Jk'lt, 
ill  the  heart  of  one  of  the  most  fertile  agricul- 
tural regions  in  the  world.  It  is  to  this  fact 
tliat  it  owes  its  selection  by  the  Illinois  Selling 
( 'oinjtany  as  the  location  for  its  canning  factory. 
Last  year  tlicy  jjacked  L',.")0(),0(l()  cans  of  corn, 
and  exi)ect  to  increase  the  cajjacity  of  the  plant 
this  year.  The  factory  operates  only  in  the 
Slimmer  time  during  the  ripening  of  the  crop, 
lint  it  gives  employment  to  between  400  and 
500  people  during  this  time,  many  of  whom 
would  not  otherwise  be  employed. 

The  factors-  is  of  great  benefit  to  the  farm- 
ers of  the  vicinity,  to  whom  it  I'nrnishes  a  wel- 
come variation  of  crop  at  a  good  price.  Last 
year  it  contracted  for  the  product  of  1,500 
acres  of  land,  and  <'X]iects    to  e.xtend     its  con- 


tracts during  the  coming  year.  Tiie  company 
furnishes  its  own  seed  to  the  farmers  an<l  agrees 
to  take  the  product  at  a  given  jirice.  Two 
varieties  of  sweet  corn  are  raised,  and  they  pay 
for  the  one  at  the  rate  of  ^HW  and  the  other  at 
the  rate  of  $10.00  per  ton.  From  four  to  live 
tons  have  been  rai.sed  per  acre.  In  addition  to 
the  price  for  his  corn  the  farmer  retains  the 
fodder  which  is  valuable  for  rough  feed  in  the 
winter.  The  land  is  benetited  by  a  crop  of 
sweet  corn  because  it  is  picked  before  it  is  ma- 
tured, and  is  therefore  not  so  exhaustive  of  the 
soil;  and  probably  it  is  for  this    reason    that  a 


crop  of  oats  will  yield  live  to  eight  bushel  to 
the  acre  more  after  a  crop  of  sweet  corn  than 
after  the  ordinary  variety.  Farmers  also  find  it 
advantageous  because  the  time  of  picking  sweet 
corn  comes  in  the  lull  that  usually  comes  be- 
tween thrashing  and  corn  husking. 

The  i)rocess  used  in  the  factory  is  the  latest 
and  most  approved.  It  is  husked  by  hand,  after 
which  the  process  is  all  mechanical.  The  silk 
is  removed  and  the  corn  is  cut  by  machinery. 
After  this  it  goes  to  the  mixer,  where  it  is  fla- 
vored with  .sugar  iind  salt,  and  heated  to  a  tern 
perature  of  185  degrees.  From  here  it  goes  into 
the  cans,  which  are  automatically  capjied  and 
soldered,  the  corn  never  ln-ing  touched  the 
while  by  human  hands.  The  solderim--  machine 
has  a  capacity  of  over  a  can  a  second.  From 
here  the  corn  goes  to  great  retorts,  each  capable 
of  cooking  one  thousand   cans  at   a    time,    and 


P 


J 


tliei-e  sterilized  at  250  degrees  of  heat  for  80 
niimites.  Then  the  c;ins  are  cooled  and  i-eady 
lor  storage  or  shijiment. 

Their  advertised  brand  is  "Sweetheart," 
which  is  lire-eminent  for  flavor  and  quality,  and 
I'egai-ded  as  the  iinest  sweet  corn  on  the  mar- 
ket. It  is  of  the  "Country  (ieiitleman"  variety, 
and  it  obtains  its  rare  quality  by  being  gather- 
ed and  packed  at  the  exact  time  when  its  flavor 
is  fine.st. 

It  is  universally  jiopular  and  is  sold  all  over 
the  LTnited  States,  being  as  niucli  a  favoi-ite  in 
Xew  England  as  on  the  Pacific  Slope,  where 
it  is  as  largely  sold  as  it  is  in  its  native  state 
of  Illinois. 

The  president  of  the  Illinois  Selling  Com- 
pany is  Mr.  Charles  S.  Crary;  the  secretarj'  is 
Mr.  John  L.  P>eeman,  and  the  efficient  local 
superintendent  is  Mr.  A.  E.  Newman. 


26 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


THE  CRAWFORD  LOCOMOTIVE  AND  CAR  COMPANY 


Streator's  most  important  acqui^^ition  in  re- 
cent years  is  tlie  factory  of  the  Crawford  Loco- 
motive and  Car  ComiJany.  Tliis  factory  has 
employed  in  "rush"  times  as  liigh  as  1,000  men; 
and  it  has  a  magnificent  modern  plant  nearly 
covering  its  tract  of  thirty  acres  with  build- 
ings, tracks  and  material  yards.  It  came  to 
Htreator  in  li)Ot),  and  the  most  remarkable  thing 
about  its  coming  is  that  it  came  without  one 
lienny  of  bonus  of  any  sort,  either  in  cash  or 
land. 

The  story  as  told  by  Mr.  Crawford,  its  foun- 
der, is  that  he  had  been     visiting     Galesburg, 


and  rebuilt  5,000  cars.  Its  specialty  is  rebuild- 
ing and  re-enforcing  freight  cars,  providing 
steel  uuderframes,  and  wooden  bodies.  It  has 
lately,  however,  constructed  two  experimental 
steel  passenger  cars  under  plans  and  specifica- 
tions fi'om  tlae  Santa  Fe  railroad,  which  are  be- 
ing operated  successfully. 

The  factory  is  supplied  with  the  best  mod- 
ern up-to-date  ecjui})ment  in  the  way  of  ma- 
chinery and  tools.  Its  power  plant  is  unsur- 
passed". It  uses  power  in  four  forms — steam, 
electricity,  air  and  hydraulic.  A  mas'^ive  1,000 
horse  power  Ball  compound  engine     furnishes 


Panoramic  View  of  the  Crawtovd 


where  he  was  being  offered  a  site  and  a  bonus, 
and  on  his  return  stopped  off  at  Streator  with 
an  acquaintance  who  had  some  business  here. 
While  in  tlie  city  he  met  Messrs.  Keeves  and 
Ryon,  President  and  Secretary  of  the  Improve- 
)nent  Association,  who  drove  him  over  the  town 
and  explained  to  him  its  advantages.  He  was 
so  impressed  with  its  location  as  a  railroad  cen- 
tre that  he  decided  to  establish  his  factory  here. 
Building  began  at  once.  Mr.  Crawford  had 
a  contract  from  the  Santa  Fe  for  repairing  a 
large  number  of  cars,  and  with  this  as  a  foun- 
dation he  was  able  to  command  the  capital  ne- 
cessary to  erect  his  plant.  The  factory  was  first 
built  with  a  capacity  of  handling  ten  cars  a 
day,  then  increased  to  sixteen  cars  per  day,  and 
then  to  twenty-five  per  day,  which  is  its  pres- 
ent capacity.  During  the  past  five  years  it  has 
built    the  steel    underframes    for    8,000    cars, 


the  driving  force,  which  is  converted  into  cur- 
rent by  a  Western  Electric  generator,  and  into 
compressed  air  by  Bury  Compressors.  A  water 
purifier  purifies  the  water  before  it  enters  the 
great  battery  of  boilers. 

In  the  factory  the  various  forms  of  power 
are  used  to  ran  mechanical  devices  and  labor- 
saving  tools  of  all  kinds.  Steam  is  carried  in 
pipes  to  ran  the  steam  and  trip  hammers;  com- 
pressed air  conducted  to  run  the  ]meumatic 
tools;  electricity  to  ran  motors  for  driving  ma- 
chinery, and  the  great  wheel  press  with  a  ca- 
pacity of  300  tons  pressure  is  ran  by  hydi'aulic 
power.  There  are  lathes,  borers,  riveters, 
])unches  in  profusion,  one  punch  being  power- 
ful enough  to  punch  a  two  and  a  half  inch  hole 
through  a  plate  of  steel  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  thick.  The  factory  is  the  only  one  in 
Streator  that  owns  is  own  switch  engine.     It 


THi;  STOItV  OK  STHKATOn. 


also  has  its  own  locomotive  crane,  wliicli  is  a 
locomotive  witii  a  crane  attached. 

The  main  huikling  is  800  feet  long  by  128 
feet  wifle.  The  i)ower  plant  is  sei)arately 
housed,  and  tliere  are  other  huildinii's  for  stor- 
age, sho])s.  ollices,  etc.,  so  that  tlicre  are  alxtiit 
ten  acres  under  roof.  In  the  near  future  will  be 
built  another  big  building  esi)ecia]ly  eiiuip])ed 
for  the  mainifacture  of  steel  cars.  This  build- 
ing will  lie  fiiMi  feet  lonu:  by  80  feet  wide.  One 
of  the  sjiecial  features  of  its  e(|uipment  will  be 
a  steel  traveling  crane  powerful  enough  to  jtick 
up  a  steel  car  and  move  it  to  any  part  of  the 
building. 

The  most  of  the  business  of  the  companv 
has  iiitherto  come  from  the  Santa  Fe  railroad, 
but  it  is  equijiped  to  <lo  business  on  favorable 
terms  with  anv   railroads  in  the  middle  west. 


cago.  A  yard  system  in  Chicago  is  so  compli- 
cated and  trallic  so  congested  that  it  takes  a 
long  time  to  get  a  'bad  order'  car  through, 
while  we  have  free  and  unobstnicted  access  to 
i)ractically  every  road  in  the  west  and  can  get 
i|uick  action  on  the  work.  Then  Strcator  is  a 
lii-eat  transfer  point;  also  a  mining  centre, 
which  causes  a  great  number  of  coal  cars  to  be 
>ent  liere.  I  am  well  satisfied  with  our  loca- 
tion. We  can  do  repair  work  here  in  competi- 
tion with  any  factory  between  Buffalo  and 
Kansas  City;  and  on  new  car  work  we  can  com- 
l)ete  successfullv  with  anv  factory  in  the  United 
States." 

President  E.  P.  Kipley,  of  the  Santa  Fe  sys- 
tem, s))eaking  to  officials  of  the  Streator  Com- 
mercial Club,  said  on  one  occasion:  "We  have 
a  iireat  deal  of  work  done  bv  the  Crawford  Lo- 


Locoraotlve  and  l"ar  Co.   Plain. 

At  ])resent  it  is  working  on  a  laruc  contract 
from  tlie  Deti-oit,  Toledo  and  Ironton  ]\ailway 
Co.  Tins  is  the  third  <'ontrai-t  from  that  com 
l)any,  although  its  head(|uarters  are  at  Detroit, 
where  there  are  large  car  sliojis  in  ojieration; 
al.so  working  on  a  large  order  of  steel  center 
sills  for  the  C.  P..  &  Q.  P.  P. 

Being  asked  his  opinion  aiiout  Streator  as  a 
location  for  his  business,  Mr.  Crawford  replied: 
"It  is  unsur]iassed.  There  is  no  better  location 
in  the  west.  The  large  number  of  railroads 
centering  here  makes  it  an  easy  ]ilaci>  to  reach 
with  'bad  order"  cars.  There  is  the  C.  I.  i^:  S.. 
which  operates  as  an  outer  belt  for  nearly  all 
the  lines  entering  Chicago.  Why,  we  can  repair 
a  car  here  and  get  it  back  to  its  road  before  it 
can  as  much  as  reach  the  repair  shops  in  Chi- 


comotive  and  Car  Company,  and  it  has  been  ab- 
solutely satisfactory  in  every  ])articular.  The 
iiicclianical  work  has  been  of  tiie  liighest  grade, 
the  service  has  been  prompt  and  satisfactoiy, 
and  the  price — well,  the  price  has  been  chea]>er 
than  we  could  <lo  it  ourselves." 

The  ])resident,  treasurer  and  principal 
stockholder  of  the  com])any  is  ^fr.  R.  "NV.  Craw- 
ford, lie  is  also  its  active  and  actual  head  in 
all  departments.  The  vice-president  and  gen- 
eral coun.sel  is  ]\lr.  P.  .1.  Lucey.  William  J.  liall 
is  assistant  to  the  president  and  mechanical 
engineer;  A.  M.  Oliver,  secretary;  Z.  Courtney, 
assistant  secretary  and  treasurer;  M.  L.  Rey- 
nolds, superintendent.  The  corporation  is  capi- 
talized at  $1,000,000. 


28 


THE  STORY  OP  STREATOR. 


THE  HOBAN  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 


The  one  institution  in  Streator  devoted  to 
the  work  of  women  is  the  factory  of  the  Hoban 
^Manufacturing  Company.  In  many  ways  it 
represents  the  spirit  of  the  new  age.  It  illus- 
trates the  world-wide  movement  of  the  passing 
of  women  from  domestic  service  into  the  fac- 


young  girls ;  and  he  says  he  could  get  a  hundred 
more  by  raising  his  finger  if  he  had  the  room 
for  them.  Seldom  does  any  one  leave  his  em- 
ployment except  to  get  married. 

There  is  a  reason:    He  gives  them  a  large, 
airy,  well-heated  and  well  ventilated  facton-  to 


The  Hoban  Factory. 


tory,  and  brings  home  to  Streator  the  "girl 
question"  in  a  real  and  practical  form.  For 
most  of  the  girls  of  Streator  would  rather  work 
in  Mr.  Hoban 's  factory  than  in  any  kitchen  in 
the  town.  He  now  employs  125  women,  most 
of  thtm  bright,  intelligent,  cheerful  and  healthy 


work  in.  The  hours  of  labor  are  nine  per  day, 
and  the  employes  are  paid  better  than  in  most 
any  other  kind  of  factory  labor  for  women. 
The  average  earnings  are  about  $6.50  a  week. 
The  factory  was  recently  inspected  by 
the   state   inspector,   who   reported   it   one   of 


THK  STOKV  OK  STRKATOH. 


29 


tlie  hesl  fiictorios  lio  had  seen  in  the  state.  The 
fjirls  take  a  half  hour  for  lunch  at  noon,  and 
hot  coffee  is  sniiplied  them  by  the  company  at 
ten  cents  a  week. 

What  do  they  make?  Mr.  Iloban  manufac- 
tnrcs  an  adjnnct  of  nude  ajjparel  known  as  the 
"Paris  (Jartcr,"  wiiich  is  the  most  iiuished  and 
poindar  device  of  its  kind  on  the  market.  The 
factory  has  a  cajiacity  of  10,000  pairs  of  gar- 
ters per  day,  and  the  entire  ontjnit  is  taken  by 


.luhn  iloban. 

one  Cliicago  liouse — the  h(nise  of  A.  Stein  & 
Co..,  wliicli  owns  tlic  patent  on  tlie  garter  de 
vice.  Tlie  plant  ccinipincnt  consisls  of  one  hun- 
dred Singer  sewing  ma<hines  and  a  number  of 
specially  designed  i)resses  to  stamp  and  as- 
semble the  parts.  All  are  operated  bv  electri- 
city. 

The  building  is  of  brick,  one-story  liigh, 
1.30x30  feet,  amply  jjrovidcd  with  windows 
from  which  conn-  an  abundant  supi)ly  of  ligliT 
and  air,  cooled  by  electric  fans  in  summer  and 
wanned  by  steam  heat  in  winter.  Decached 
and  practically  lire-proof,  it  is  free  from  the 
dangers  that  menace  the  factories  employing 
woman  labor  in  tlie  cities. 


Asked  why  he  preferred  to  operate  in  Strea- 
tor  rather  than  in  Chicago,  Mr.  Hoban  replied: 
• '  We  have  a  better  class  of  employes,  and  they 
are  steadier.  There  is  not  the  temptation  to 
wander  from  factory  to  factory,  hence  not  so 
much  is  lost  in  breaking  in  new  girls. 

Mr.  John  Hoban  is  a  Streator  product.  He 
was  born  here  in  1878,  grew  up  here,  and  after 


FflRlS 


No  Metal  Can  Touch  You 


various  enii)loyiiients,  went  into  business  for 
himself  in  VMG,  operating  a  shirt  factory.  In 
1910  he  erect-ed  his  present  factoiy,  in  whicli  lie 
is  confining  him.self  to  the  manufacture  of  the 
Paris  garter.  He  is  operating  to  the  full  ca- 
pacity of  his  factory,  and  is  achieving  a  solid 
and  satisfactorv  success. 


30 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


Among  the  latest  of  the  domestic  inchistries 
to  leave  the  household  and  enter  the  factory  is 
the  working-  of  milk  and  cream.  Until  about  a 
year  ago  the  liousewives  on  the  farms  about 
Streator  worked  up  the  output  of  their  cattle  at 
home,  or  had  to  ship  it  to  creameries  at  a  dis- 
tance. Within  the  year  a  creamery  has  been 
established  in  Streator.  and  at  once  demonstrat- 
ed its  usefulness  by  furnisliing  the  farmers  a 
market  for  their  cream.    Twelve  hundred  cream 


cess.  The  cream  is  brought  to  the  factory  in 
five-gallon  cans,  where  it  is  weighed  and  tested. 
It  is  then  poured  into  a  large  \'at,  where  it  is 
heated  to  180  degrees,  a  temjjerature  liot 
enough  to  kill  all  germs.  It  is  then  cooled  1o 
60  degrees  and  churned  in  a  large  Perfection 
churn,  which  has  a  capacity  of  1,300  pounds  at 
each  churning.  It  is  a  combined  chum  and 
worker  and  is  able  to  turn  out  six  churnings 
per  day.     Nearly  all  the  ])roduct  is  put  up  in 


Inside  View  of  the  Illinois  Creamery  Plant. 


producers  from  the  adjoining  county  have 
brought  their  product  to  the  creamery.  -100.000 
pounds  of  butter  have  been  made,  and  $120,000 
has  been  paid  out  to  farmers. 

The  Illinois  Valley  Creamery  Company  has 
established  here  a  thoroughly  e(iuipi)ed  factory 
with  a  capacity  of  30,000  pounds  of  Imtter  per 
week.  It  is  operated  on  the  most  up-to-date 
methods,  and  special  regard  is  had  to  cleanli- 
ness and  sanitation  in  every    ])art     of  the  pro- 


one-ponnd  Ijricks  for  the  market. 

The  floors  are  all  of  cement,  and  all  vessels 
or  things  used  in  the  process  are  thoroughly 
cleaned  and  sterilized  daily  by  washing,  scald- 
ing and  steaming. 

A  large  part  of  the  product  is  consumed  in 
Streator  and  neig]d)oring  towns.  It  is  estimated 
that  $1,000  has  been  saved  to  the  merch.ants  of 
Streator  in  express  on  butter  alone  since  the 
coming  of  tlie  factory,  while  $2,000    has    been 


THK  STOItV  OF  STKi:.\TO|{. 


31 


saved  to  f;iniioi<  from  tlie  same  '^ouioe.  A,a:en- 
cii's  fur  tlu'  sale  of  Strcator  Imtter  are  also  es- 
talilislicd    at     N'ickslinrg,  Miss.,    New  Orleans, 


A.   Miller. 


I. a.,  Newark,  X.  J.,  Mein|iliis,  Teiiii.,  McKees- 
|)ort,  I'eiiu.,  H.  liiveri>o()l,  Oliio,  as  well  as  the 
lari;-er  towns  in  Illinois.  Already  a  very  stronij; 
trade  has  been  worked  up  in  the>;e  distant  mar- 
kets for  this  exeellent  butter. 

The  jiroprietor  of  this  new  Streator  enter- 
prise is  ^fr.  A.  Miller,  an  Illinois  man,  born  in 
Tazewell  County  in  187S,  .-.nd  connected  with 
the  daily  and  creamery  business  for  most  of 
his  workini;-  life.  He  was  connected  with  the 
lilue  N'alley  Creamery  Co.  for  three  years,  jiart 
of  the  time  in  charge  of  the  corresjiondenee  and 
l>uying  dejKirtments.  In  liMO  he  established  a 
plant  in  Walseka,  III.,  wliich  proved  very  suc- 
cessful, and  sold  it  in  llHl  to  ^Fr.  11.  ('.  I'lnrne- 
man  of  the  town. 

Asked  why  he  located  in  Streator  in  liUl.  he 
said:  "I  had  several  locations  in  view,  but 
Streator  looked  l)etter  to  me  than  any  of  them 
owiiii;-  to  its  advantageous  situation  and  I'ail- 
road  facilities.  Further  the  merchants  were  of 
<ucli  a  class  that  I  thought  they  drew  more 
trade  to  Streator  from  a  gn-ater  distance  than 
any  town  I  had  been  in.  One  "Dollar  Day"  in 
Streator  1  found  farmers  that  had  come  thirty 
miles,  and  where  a  farmer  does  his  trading  he 
usually  sells  his  cream.  1  aiu  iil.'d  we  came.  We 
have  doubled  cur  plant  since  coming,  and  we 
e.xpeet  in  the  coming  year  to  make  1,(100,000 
pounds  of  butter  and  to  pay  the  farmers  half  a 
million  dollars." 


32 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


THE  ALLIANCE  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 


This  company  has  been  in  business  in  Strea- 
tor  for  twenty-one  years.  It  has  been  mainly 
engaged  in  the  building,  repairing  and  selling 
of  Vehicles  and  farm  implements.  About  twelve 
years  ago  there  camea  development  which  di- 
rected its  activities  into  a  new  specialty,  and 
which  greatly  increased  its  production.. 

Singularly  enough  the  entire  business  ac- 
tivity of  the  company  was  switched  by  a  single 
customer.  A  man  came  in  and  wanted  a  wagon 
built  for  vending  ice  cream  on  the  streets.  He 
made  a  great  success  of  it,  and  then  other  ambi- 
tious ice  ci'eam  vendors  came  in    and    ordered 


all  the  adjuncts  of  a  mail-order  business. 

The  business  grew  apace.  The  company 
dropped  its  implement  and  jobbing  business 
and  went  more  and  more  into  the  making  of 
vending  wagons.  Last  year  they  sold  one  liun- 
dred  of  these  wagons,  which  went  into  nearly 
every  state  in  the  union.  An  odd  feature  of  the 
business  illustrating  our  curious  national  traits 
was  noticed.  In  the  south  all  the  trade  demand 
seemed  to  be  for  wagons  constriicted  to  vend 
Chili-con-came;  in  the  west  nothing  but  ice 
cream  wagons  were  wanted;  while  in  the  east 
the  demand  was  all  for  lunch  wagons — and  this 


The  Alliance  Co.  Ice  Cream  Vendor  Wagon. 


vehicles,  until  eight  were  built  for  Streator. 

But  the  local  market  for  ice  cream  wagons 
was  glutted  and  the  astute  manager,  Mr.  Win- 
ninger,  saw  that  he  must  look  further  afield, 
for  what  could  be  done  in  Streator  could  be 
done  in  other  towns. 

He  inaugurated  a  national  advertising  cam- 
paign, taking  liberal  spaces  in  the  Saturday 
Evening  Post,  the  theatrical  journals,  the 
magazines  and  other  ex]iensive  mediums.  His 
entei-prise  was  rewarded,  and  inquiries  for 
vending  wagons  began  to  pour  in  from  all  parts 
of  the  country.  He  organized  a  regular  adver- 
tising department,  with  a  follow-up  system,  and 


was  due  largely  to  hungrj^  immigrants  at  the 
different  ports  and  stations  who  wanted  cheap 
food. 

The  wagons  are  splendidly  "built  and  equip- 
ped, and  cost  from  $225  to  $-100.  The  field  is 
apparently  unlimited,  and  there  is  practically 
no  competition.  The  prospects  for  growth  are 
very  promising.  Last  year  the  company  made 
1,000  wagon  beds,  in  addition  to  their  other  ve- 
hicles, and  had  a  volume  of  business  of 
$100,000. 

The  officers  are  Charles  F.  Wiuninger,  ]iresi- 
dent;  Geo.  A.  Doermann,  vice-iiresident  and 
treasurer;  Frank  Doermann,  secretary. 


THK   STOKV   OF   STRKATOH. 


33 


THE  FRANK  J.  SCHMITZ  COMPANY 


The  most  roceiit  of  Streator's  factory  acqui 
sitions  is  tlio  plant  of  Frank  J.  Scliniitz  anfl 
Company,  wliicli  was  nioveil  here  from  Cliioauo 
six  montlis  ayo.  Tlic  fjictory  is  enijagod  in  a 
lino  of  manufacture  which  is  unique,  namely, 
the  makinj;  of  crates  for  the  packing  and  ship- 
jiinir  of  bananas.  This  enterprise  is  an  illustra- 
tion of  liow  new  demands  for  sanitation  and 
healthfulness  call  into  existence  new  forms  of 
in<histi'y.     A  few  years  atro  hanaiias  were  sliip- 


lina;  of  bananas  became  manifest,  and  turned 
the  thouglits  of  Mr.  Frank  Schmitz,  Sr.,  inven- 
tor, toward  tlic  invention  of  a  suitable  device 
to  safeguard  the  banana  duriiiij:  shi])ineiit.  The 
Schmitz  bauaua  crate  is  the  result.  Tiie  original 
device  was  a  success,  but  it  has  been  improved 
again  and  again  until  it  has  now  over  thirty 
jiatents  covering  its  various  features,  and  is  the 
last  word  on  the  subject  of  crates.  The  writer 
was  sliown  a  carload  nf  crates  pacU'dl  for  ship- 


])ed  all  over  tlie  <-oiintry  loosely  ])acked  in  ha\ . 
straw,  or  any  other  cheap  material  thirt  might 
lu"  available.  The  result  was  a  lot  of  bruised 
and  damaged  fruit,  which  was  sold  after  arriv- 
ing at  its  destination  any  way  the  dealer  could 
work  it  o(T,  and  the  decayed  refuse  sold  to 
chea)!  buyers  who  woidd  carry  it  perhajis  to 
slum  (piarters  to  spread  genns  and  disease. 

With  the  growth     of     sanitation     and  pure 
food  soutimeut  the  demaud  for  a  better  hand- 


ment  several  hundred  miles  to  the  liome  town 
of  its  principal  competitor,  and  the  Streator 
l»roduct  was  ]mt  down  in  that  town  at  a  cost  of 
$r_'()  more  than  tiie  tigures  of  its  rival,  and  yet 
found  a  ready  sale. 

The  Hchmitz  banana  crate  is  conceded  by  all 
commission  men  and  packers  to  be  absolutely 
iinei|ualled  for  its  puriiose.  Tt  has  no  competi- 
tor that  pretends  to  rival  it  in  quality.  The  only 
competitive  point  is  price,  and    when    service 


34 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


and  durability  are  considered  tlie  question  is 
eliminated,  and  the  Streator  erate  is  without  a 
rival.  The  anil)ition  oi  Mv.  Schmitz  is  not  to 
find  how  cheap  he  can  make  his  crate,  but  how 
good.  He  has  constantly  added  features  im- 
proving the  quality  of  his  outi)ut,  ;intil  he  now 
has  a  crate  that  can  l)e  jiuaranteed  to  shiji 
])ananas  any  distance  without  injury. 

Some  of  these  features  are  ^•ery  ingenious. 
Most  im|)oi-tant  is  the  inner  cushion  of  sack 
cloth  which  keeps  the  fruit  absolutely  free  from 
contact  witli  the  outci-  wooden  framework  of  the 


Bacana  Crate. 

crate  at  any  point.  The  same  device  is  also  a 
great  labor  saver,  and  enables  a  workman  to 
pack  five  of  the  Schmitz  crates  while  he  is  ])ack- 
ing  one  of  the  othei'  sort.  The  cushion  ]iermits 
the  goods  to  be  shi]>i)ed  any  distance  with  ])er- 
feet  ]jrotection  against  bruise  or  jar. 

The  wooden  portion  of  the  crate  is  made  of 
a  peculiar  quality  of  lumber  treated  by  a  pro- 
cess devised  by  Mr.  Schmitz  which  makes  it  as 
hard  as  a  rock  and  almost  as  dura))le  as  steel. 
Every  crate  made  in  the  factory  has  the  date  of 
mamifacture  stamjjed  on  it  so  that  users  may 


know  how  long  it  is  lasting.  The  wood  comes 
to  the  factory  in  planks  and  is  cut  uji  into  slats 
and  hoops  by  sjjccial  nuichinery  on  the  i)rem- 
ises.  Tliesr  are  boiled  and  steamed,  tied,  nailed 
and  painted  by  an  organized  force  in  which  the 
division  of  labor  is  carried  out  in  the  most  thor- 
ough manner. 

Last  yeai-  two  hundred  carhiads  of  crates 
Avere  shijijjed  by  tlie  conqiany.  The  indications 
are  that  this  year  double  that  amount  will  be 
made.  An  idea  of  the  business  may  be  con- 
veyed by  citing  the  fact  that  this  year  the  fac- 
tory will  consume  enough  string  to  go  twice 
around  the  world. 

The  ])roduct  goes  all  ovci'  the  North  Ameri- 
can continent — to  Calgai-y,  Alberta,  Winnijieg. 
Canada;  Los  Angeles,  California;  Portland, 
]\Iaine;  El  Paso,  Texas;  La  Crosse,  Wis.;  To- 
ledo, St.  Louis,  Chicago,  in  fact  wherever  there 
are  commission  men. 

Mr.  Frank  J.  Schmitz, -head  of  the  conq)any, 
is  practically  a  Streator  i)roduct.  lie  was  born 
in  Cornell,  a  country  town  eight  miles  from 
here,  and  came  to  Streator  25  years  aii'o.  From 
Streator  he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  went 
into  the  crate  business  when  lb  years  of  age, 
and  has  remained  in  it  ever  since.  Asked  why 
he  removed  his  factory  from  Chicago  to  Strea- 
tor, he  re|)lied: 

■'Tlie  main  reason  for  choosing  Streator  a^ 
my  new  location  was  its  remarkalile  railroad 
facilities.  Of  course  there  are  plenty  of  rail- 
roads in  Chicago,  but  the  yards  are  congested 
and  a  manufacturer  cannot  get  the  ])romi)t 
service  there  he  can  in  Streator.  The  lines  run 
from  here  to  every  point  of  the  compass,  and 
since  coming  I  have  found  it  greatly  to  my  ad- 
vantage.   I  am  sorrv  I  did  not  come  before." 


THE  STREATOR  MOTOR  CAR  COMPANY 


Another  of  tlie  large  nuinufacturing  con- 
cerns initiated  by  Streator  enterprise  and 
]iromoted  by  Streator  money  and  brains  is  the 
Streator  jMotor  Car  C*om])any.  It  was  organ- 
ized in  1905  by  a  small  grou])  of  Streator  men 
who  saw  in  the  expanding  automobile  industry 
an  op])ortunity  to  share  in  the  benetits  of  that 
growtli,  and  to  ])romote  the  interests  of  Streator 
in  which  they  had  a  large  stake.  The  enter- 
prise was  begun  with  a  small  capital — $30,000 
— and  the  output  of  the  first  year's  ojieration 


was  five  cars.  The  business  gri'w  with  anuiz- 
ing  rapidity,  and  the  capital  was  increased  a 
nund)er  of  times  until  it  is  now  ^(iOO.OOO.  In 
IJ'IO  the  aiitomobile  business  all  over  the  coun- 
try suffered  a  serious  reaction,  and  the  activity 
of  the  Streator  Motor  Car  Company,  like  the 
others,  received  a  temjiorary  check;  but  it  is 
now  in  full  swing  again,  and  the  year  lUl'I  will 
see  a  in'oduction  of  1500  motor  cars. 

The  buildings  of  the  cojniiany  are  built  ac- 
cording to  the  best    fire-resisting    methods    of 


THK    STOIIV   or   STKKATOK. 


35 


c'onstnictioii,  iiiid  i-over  seven  ami  one  half 
acres  of  space.  Xearly  two  miles  of  switch 
tracks  accommodate  the  iii-,u;oiii.t;  and  oiit-,i::oini;- 
Irallic.  While  the  llalladay  ear,  wliicli  they 
manufactnre,  i>  made  of  assend)led  parts,  yet 
tliey  do  their  own  iipholsteiiiii;.  l)ody  paintin.ii: 
and  top  Imildini^.  and  they  ha\e  a  tlioro\iy:hl\' 
ecpiipped  machine  shop  where  the  >niall  part- 
are  piocnred  fioin  old  and  well  estahlished 
mannfaetnreiN   whose  .u:reat   c.ipital   ei|nipmenl 


Los  Aiiirejes.  .Minneapolis,  St.  I>o\iis.  ("hieas"(\ 
Winnipeu:,  Atlanta,  .lai-ksonville.  New  York. 
The  company  lias  ]'2'>  a.irents  and  disti-ihntors. 
'I'he  splendid  reputation  of  the  llalladay  has 
won  for  it  reconnition  in  the  hisrliest  autoino 
iiile  circles.  It  was  .selected  as  press  car  in  the 
last  (iliihU-n  toiir.  It  was  chosen  pathfinder 
and  pilot  for  the  run  of  the  ( 'iiiea^io  Motor  ( "lab, 
;,lso  for  the  little  (iliilden  tour  of  the  north-west 
from  .Minneapolis  to  Montana,  and  for  tlie  tii"st 


Birds   ICyi-   Vitw  ol   .Motor  Car   I'liiiil. 


enahles  them  to  specialize  in  their  parts  and 
tnrn  tliem  out  more  economically  ami  ellicient- 
ly  than  can  he  done  by  those  who  attempt  to 
jiroducc  ever>'  pai't  in  one  factory. 

In  the  se\en  years  it  has  l)ien  on  the  mar 
ket  the  llalladay  car  has  developed  a  sellini,' 
power  ecpialed  by  few  in  its  class.  It  has  l)een 
sold  all  over  the  I'nited  States  and  in  Canada, 
and  this  yeai"  a  lari^e  contract  has  been  -iniied 
for  e.xport.     Tlu'  iarifei'  di>trib\itin,y:  point.-  are 


iiP'at  tour  of  .Vorlhwestern  Canada.  .\11  these 
honors  came  to  tiie  llalladay  dnrinf*-  the  year 
1!>11.  and  sulliciently  attest  its  standin^j:  in  the 
car  world. 

When  working  at  full  capacity  the  Streator 
.Motor  Car  Company  employs  from  IIO  to  250 
employes.  The  ofTicials  of  the  company  are: 
J.  C.  Barlow,  jiresident:  Paul  Cliul)buck.  vice- 
proident;  C.  .\rtliur  Unice.  secretary  and 
treasun-r. 


36 


THE  STORY  OK  STRKATOR. 


THE  G.  &  D.  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 


Nowliere  lias  progress  been  more  wonderful 
during  the  past  century  than  on  the  Ameriean 
farm.  Not  only  have  the  methods  been  revo- 
lutionized but  the  calling  itself  has  been  trans- 
formed so  that  the  American  farmer  of  today 
is  not  the  peasant  drudge  of  past  centuries 
Init  skilled  in  the  mechanics  and  science  of 
farming.  The  last  ))lace  to  yield  to  the  spirit 
of  improvement  has  been  the  farmer's  barn. 
Long  after  the  reapcn-  replaced  the  scythe,  and 
the  thresher  the  flail,  the  scoop  shovel  still 
reigned  in  the  barn  and  made  the  farmer's 
back  ache  with  the  weary  drudgery  of  shovel- 
ing grain. 

The  main  business  of  the  (i.  &  1).  Conniany  is 
to  make  the  shovel  as  mucli  of  a  back  number  as 


ad\'antage  of  the  Cup  FJcxator  is  that  it  is  in- 
side in  the  diy,  and  always  ready  for  use.  It 
runs  with  a  chain.  No  belts  to  rot,  or  for  rats 
and  mice  to  eat.  Its  cups  are  so  arranged  that 
the  grains  fall  into  them  from  above  and  tiiere 
is  no  shelling  of  the  grain,  as  is  the  case  where 
the  cup  has  to  dip  up  the  grain.  When  build- 
ing new  cribs  it  should  be  done  with  reference 
to  using  the  Farmers'  Friend  Cup  Flovator.  for 
which  ])lans  will  be  sent  free. 

They  manufacture  also  the  G.  &  D.  self-oil- 
ing windmill,  made  with  fewer  parts  than  any 
other  mill,  and  will  run  indefinitely  without  re- 
oiling.  They  make  the  Phunb  Motor  Tile 
Ditcher  and  many  kinds  of  water  tanks,  water 
heaters,  litter  carriers,  marker-lifters,  etc. 

Last  year  they  made    and     shipped     to  all 


G.  &  D.  Wind  Mill. 


G.  &  D.  Gialii  Elevator. 


the  scythe  and  flail,  and  to  save  lab(ri'  in  thi' 
barn  the  same  as  in  the  field.  To  this  end  they 
are  making  elevators  to  run  with  horse  oi-  motor 
power.  Their  patents  ran  back  to  1898,  and 
they  were  the  first  in  the  field  with  a  i)ortable 
elevator.  Time  has  tested  every  point  in  the 
structure  and  every  weakness  has  been  elimi- 
nated until  the  "Farmer's  Friend"  Flevator 
is  the  most  durable  and  efficient  on  the  market. 
More  recently  they  have  been  s])ecializing 
in  the  Farmer's  Friend  Cu})  Flevator,  whose 
cut  appears  herewith.  It  is  ada])ted  not  only 
to  the  handling  of  grain,  but  can  be  arranged 
to  handle  hard  or  soft  coal,  slack,  fertilizer,  etc. 
All  these  materials  can  he  handled  for  about 
75  ])er  cent  less  than  with  the  scoop.    The  great 


]iarN  (il  tile  Fnitcd  States  and  Caiia(hi  (iDO  ele- 
^■ators  and  loi)  wind  mills.  When  nniiiing  at 
full  capacity  they  give  emiiloyment  to  (iO  men. 
The  president  of  the  company  is  Mr.  F.  II. 
Schroeder,  and  the  manager  is  Mr.  Frank 
(falim.  Mr.  Gahm  was  born  on  a  farm  not  far 
from  Streator,  and  worked  on  it  until  eigliteen. 
It  was  there  he  found  the  need  of  the  labor- 
saving  devices  he  aften\'ards  invented.  He  is 
the  inventor  of  the  elevators  and  wind  mill 
made  l)y  the  G.  &  D.  Company,  and  many  other 
devices  are  the  product  of  his  inventive  genius 
— notably  the  metal  hame  coupler  ami  bugg\' 
top  attachment  first  made  by  the  Streator 
?\letal  Stamping  Com])any,  ami  now  in  general 
use. 


THi:    STOIJV    OF   STRKATOK. 


37 


RAILROADS  OF  STREATOR 


FIVE  GREAT  SYSTEMS  WITH  45.000     MILES     OF 

COVERING  ENTIRE  UNION. 


TRACKS,     AND 


"Uiisuri)assetl"  is  tlic  wonl  tliat  ilescribes 
tilt'  railroail  siliiatimi  in  Strcatnr.  In  jxiint  of 
rate  ad.justnu'nt,  in  rapiility  and  cniivcniciioc  of 
service,  in  its  ability  to  reach  any  market  with 
economy  ami  speed,  it  is  e(|iialed  by  few  and 
excelh'd  l)y  no  interior  city  in  the  west. 

VKKKiilT  KATKS— Its  freijfht  rates  arc  llic 
same  or  l»etter  than  Cliicago. 

Si']i\'\l('K— Five  ijreat  railroad  systems  with 
a  combined  mileaf,'e  of  4.'),0()0  miles  compete  for 
its  business,  and  their  eai^er  rivalry  makes 
service  prompt,  sure  and  ellicient. 

SWITCIIIXC!  -Four  of  the  railroads  kc-p 
switcli  cnnines  and  crews  in  Streator.  Fsnally 
the  lar  supply  is  jileutifid.  Reciprocal  switch 
a.rranucincnts  exist  itetween  all  lines,  and 
switchint;-  charf-cs  are  absoihed  on  (Uittroinii; 
shiimieiits,  except  when  very  snudl  in  amount. 
FACILITIFS— Hoads  can  make  .leliyery 
from  Canada  to  the  (inif.  from  Atlantic  to  I'a- 
ritic  Coast,  and  to  nearly  all  inti'rm<'diatt' 
states  ami  territories,  witluuit  u:oinn-  olT  thcirj 
own  rails.  'I'his  reduces  delays  l)y  transfers 
and  siilctracks. 

.    From  Vice  President  Ross. 

.\moni;  tlmsc  eminent  in  the  lailroad  world 
Streator  is  fortunate  in  havinji;  a  friend  who  is 
able  to  s])eak  with  authority  on  all  matters  re- 
lalini--  to  trans|iorlatioii.  l-'eelinii:  the  need  of 
expert  opinion  on  this  subject  tiie  editor  wrote 
to  .Mr.  \V.  li.  Ross,  \'ice  President  of  the  Ciii 
ca;i;o  &  Alton,  and  Toledo,  St.  Louis  &  West- 
ern Railroads,  askiiii;-  a  statement  from  him  as 
to  what  mitrht  be  truthfully  said  about  the 
railroad  situation  in  Streator.  Mr.  Koss  lived 
here  for  twenty  years  and  knows  the  local  as 
well  as  the  lar.ner  national  situation.  His  state- 
ment is  niven  herewith. 

"I  attach  hereto  a  statement  wiiich  will 
give  you  the  actual  facts  with  reference  to  rate 
adjustment  between  Streator  and  all  territor- 
ies. To  one  experienced  in  the  rsite  adjust- 
ment, this  statement  clearly  indicates  the  ad- 
vantages of  Streator  as  a  point    of    industrial 


development.  In  addition  to  the  rate  adjust- 
ment being  favorable,  1  would  like  to  call  your 
especial  attention  to  the  I'ailroad  systems  serv- 
ing this  city. 

First,  tfie  A.  'J\  cV:  S.  F.  with  its  Trans-Con- 
tinental Line,  reaching  to  the  (iulf  of  Mexico 
and  the  Pacific  Coast. 

••The  C.  H.  iK:  (^.  with  tiie  Hill  Liues,  reach- 
ing the  Xortlieni  Pacific  and  Colorado  terri- 
tory; also  the  (iulf  through  tiie  medium  of  the 
Coloi'ailo  i^'  Southern. 

"The  C.  I.  tV:  S.,  owned  and  directly  man- 
aged by  the  New  York  Central  Liues,  covering 
the  entire  Fastern  and  New  P^nglaud  territory, 
as  well  as  the  connections  via  Cairo  for  the 
(iulf,  giving  .\tlantic  Coast  outlet,  and  a  con- 
nection with  the  (ireat   Lakes  as  well. 

"The  Wal)ash,  through  its  connection  with 
the  (lould  Lines,  reaches  through  the  Missouri 
Pacific  and  Iron  Mountain  the  entire  South- 
west. Through  the  meilium  of  tlie  Missouri  Pa- 
cilic.  1).  c^-  R.  (',.  and  Western  Pacilic  the  Pacific 
( 'oast. 

"The  C.  tV  A.  with  its  affiliated  lines,  known 
as  the  Ilawley  (Ironp.  furnish  over  their  own 
rails,  a  direct  outlet  via  Newport  News,  con- 
necting with  the  Chesapeake  tSc  Ohio  for  exjjort 
and  import  trathc,  via  St.  L(mis  and  Kansas 
City  in  connection  with  the  M.  K  &  T.  an  out 
let  to  the  S(nitl]west  and  (iulf  port  for  im))ort 
and  <'xport  traffic:  an  outlet  to  the  Northwest 
through  the  medium  of  the  M.  iV:  St.  L.,  cover- 
ing all  Northwesfeni  teri-itory. 

Transportation  Speaks  for  Itself. 
"All  these  lines  reacii  ovei-  tlieir  own  rails 
the  large  conunercial  centres,  consuming  and 
producing  territories,  enabling  them  to  fix  the 
rates  and  protect  industries  in  this  community 
as  against  improper  adjustments  by  other  ter- 
ritories at  all  times. 

"My  personal  view  based  on  an  intinuite 
knowledge  of  the  situation  from  a  standpoint 
locally,  as  well  as  from  a  broader  view  of 
knowledge  of  the  entire  situation,  and  from  a 
railroad  standjioint,  is  that  the  transportation 
facilities  of  the  comumnity  are  equal  to  that  of 


38 


THE  STOrSV  OF  STUKATOK. 


any  territory  tliat  has    come    to  my    observa- 
tion. 

"What  you  need  to  do  is  interest  outside 
capital  in  yonr  local  advantages.  The  trans- 
))ortation  speaks  for  itself  to  my  mind." 

Yours  verv  trulv. 

W!  L.  llOSS. 

How  Streator  Got  Its  Railroads. 

The  expert  opinion  of  ^'ice-Pre.sident  Ross 
on  tlie  advantages  of  Streator  as  a  railroad 
point  is  corroborated  by  every  manufacturer 
doing  business  here,  as  will  be  seen  from  their 
statements  quoted  freely  in  the  various  articles 
herein.  For  several  of  tliem  the  superior  rail- 
road facilities  have  been  the  chief  inducement 
for  their  moving  here,  and  every  one  who 
came  from  this  motive  is  glad     lie     nuide    the 


change.     One  says:     "I  wish  I  had  moved  to 
Streator  before." 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  four  of  the 
railroads  which  now  connect  Streator  with  the 
great  systems  of  the  country  were  largely  initi- 
ated by  Streator  brains  and  carried  through  by 
Streator  enterjjrise.  They  were  originally 
built  by  Col.  Rali)h  Plumb  and  his  associates 
as  an  outlet  to  the  coal  output  of  the  town, 
and  afterwards  bought  in  l)y  great  corpora- 
tions which  now  own  them.  Thus  what  is  now 
the  Wabash  was  built  as  the  Chicago  &  Padu- 
cah ;  the  Burlington  was  the  Ottawa,  Oswego  & 
f^ox  River,  the  Chicago  &  Alton  was  the  Strea- 
tor &  Wenona,  and  the  great  Santa  Fe  system 
goes  into  Chicago  on  tracks  which  were  origi- 
nally owned  by  the  Cliicago,  Pekin  and  Soutlt- 
western. 


THE  SANTA  FE  RAILWAY  SYSTEM 


The  Santa  Fe  is  the  great  trunk  railway 
that  connects  Streator  with  Chicago  on  tlie  east 
and  California  on  the  west.     It  owns  and  oper- 


under  one  manaiiement  lietween  Chicago  and 
California,  and  I'caches  i)oints  as  distant  as  Los 
Angeles,  and  San   Francisco  on  the  west,  and 


View  of  Santa  Fe  Yards  and   Station. 


ates  10,000  miles  of  track  in  twelve  southwest 
states  and  tci-ritories.     It  is  the  onlv  railwav 


Galveston  on  the  south,  dii'cctly  over  its  own 
rails. 


THK    ST<)I{\     OK   STKK.ATOH. 


S9 


KviMy  tweiity-rour  hours  there  are  twenty- 
six  freiiijlit  ami  iiiiiet<'eii  |tassen,i>er  trains  jiass- 
inu  tlironifh  Stivatur  on  tiie  Santa  Fe.  All  the 
freii-ht  ti-ains  take  frei;;iit  here,  and  a  shii)iier 
ran  yet  a  car  ahnost  any  liour  out  of  the  twenty 
four  to  carry  his  jroods  east  or  west.  Tliree 
fjist  frei«:ht  trains  daily  run  direct  lo  ("aliftu-- 
nia.  For  ('liica;;o  the  treij,Hit  sei-vice  is  as  ijood 
as  expre-s.  h'reiaiit  loaded  here  at  four  o'clock 
)>.  ni.  will  leai-h  Chicairo  at  three  o'clock  next 
aiorninir. 


'I'll 


e  iiassensjer  sc-rvicc  is  ei|ually  convenient. 


H      \l      IMNCAN. 

A  person  nuiy  take  a  train  for  Cliicaiio  in  the 
niornin.ii  at  .'ctHt.  .")::!(».  (kIKI.  (;::{().  7:.'l(t.  H-MO  or 
!•:.")('.     lie  can  leave  ('liicav:«>  for  Streatcu-  in  'ho 

aftern i  at    U:.")!).  L':47.  (i:(l(l.  oi'  1(1:0(1  p.  ni.; 

an-1  in  the  niorninn-  at  lM.").  7:4o  or  U-MO. 

l-'or  Texas,  ('i'lifornia  and  all  western  points 
the  service  is  une(|ualed.  and  Streator  i-  a  fa 
voraltle  startiny;  jioint  for  tourists     and     land 
seekers  f|-oni  tlie  numerous  nearliy  vilhiiics  and 
towns. 


How  It  Helps  Local  Trade. 

'i'he  Santa  Fe  lias  observed  a  jwlicy  of  con- 
^iderateness  for  tlie  needs  of  ])atrons  alon<j-  its 
local  lines  tliat  coinuiends  it  to  i)ul)lic  favoi-. 
Thus  its  local  time  tal)les  are  arran.ned  with 
special  reference  to  the  needs  of  shoi)pers  visit- 
inn-  Streator,  and  the  merchants  who  serve 
them.  \'isitors  cominf>-  in  on  local  trains,  either 
on  the  main  line  or  Pekin  l)rancli.  will  lie  able 
to  spend  four  hours  in  town  and  return  to  their 
homes  in  ,<j;ood  .season.  This  considerate  policy 
lias  built  up  the  local  traffic  so  that  there  are 
not  less  than  one  hundred  visitors  to  Streator 
ilaily  from  local  points  on  the  Santa  Fe,  and  on 
Saturdays  the  number  is  swelled  to  two 
hundred. 

The  Santa  Fe  as  an  emi)l()yer  of  labor  in 
Streator  i>  <'<\\u\\  to  a  yood  sized  fa<'tory.  Tt  is 
an  important  transfer  point.  an<l  twenty  to 
thirty  cars  of  freight  are  transferred  daily.  An 
electi-ic  derrick  e(|uipnient  is  inst.dled  here  for 
this  pur])o.se.  Larue  trains  are  broken  uji  and 
remade,  iind  three  switch  eiiijines  and  crews  are 
employed.  Wound  house  men,  car  repairers, 
tlii-ee  section  crews,  clerks,  signal  and  tower 
men  make  u\>  a  lai^e  force.  Tliere  are  over 
one  hnialred  men  on  the  Santa  Fe  pay  roll  in 
Streator  and  not  less  than  ^Id.diM)  a  iiioiith  is 
paid  out. 

A  Railroader  By  Birth. 

Th.'  Streator  a.yent  of  the  Santa  Fe.  Mr.  II. 
.M.  Duncan,  was  litei'ally  born  to  the  railroad 
business,  lie  lirst  saw  the  li^lit  in  a  railway 
station  (»f  which  his  father  was  au;ent,  tlie  up- 
stairs of  the  depot  Iteinj?  used  as  livinji:  rooms 
!:s  was  not  unusual  in  the  early  days.  ITe  joined 
the  forces  of  the  Santa  Fe  in'  March.  1S88,  as 
an'cnt  at  Knox,  worked  foi-  it  at  eif'liteeu  dif- 
ferent stations,  and  was  promoted  to  Streator 
on  .\i>ril  1.  liMI!).  Mi-.  Duncan  is  a  thoroui>h 
railroad  aucnf.  one  of  the  most  capable  and  ex- 
perienced in  the  enm|)any's  sei'vice. 


THE  CHICAGO.  BURLINGTON  &  QUINCY  RAILROAD 


The  l>urlin,iiton.  connected  as  it  i-  with  the 
Xorthern  Pacilic  and  the  (ireat  Northern  sys- 
tems, known  as  the  Hill  i^nuip  of  lines,  is  by  far 
the  nreatesi  system  of  railroads  entering;  Strea- 
tor. its  own  liiileau-e  is  !l,(M»ll  miles,  that  of  the 
Xorthern  I'acilic  is  (i. •_'(!().  the  (ireat  N'oithei-ii  is 
7,S44,  makinif  a  total  of  over  22,(t(tO  miles  for 
the  entire  svstem.    Tliis  enornunis  svstem  trav- 


erses the  west  and  northwest,  and  furnishes  di- 
rect aoeess  to  that  f;;reat  empire  now  develojung' 
across  the  Canadian  border,  which  is  destined 
to  be  one  of  our  bii--  markets.  It  is  a  sio-niticant 
fact  that  two-thirds  of  the  land  buyers  l)uyinfi' 
tourist  tickets  at  the  Streator  station  are  liead- 
ed  for  these  northwestern  i)rovinces,  and  to 
this  great  granary  the  Burlington  furnishes  the 


40 


THK  STORY  OP  STRKATOR. 


most  direct  service,  freight  and  passenger. 

A  glance  at  a  railroad  map  shows  that  the 
Burlington  fairly  gridirons  tlie  Central  West. 
Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Nebraska 
look  like  a  checker  board  marked  off  in  squares 
by  the  lines  of  the  Burlington,  while  long  arms 
reach  out  and  join  with  its  comjjanion  lines 
stretching  to  the  northern  and  western  limits 
of  the  union.  Southward  they  go  direct  to  St. 
Louis,  and  south-eastward  to  Paducah, 
Kentucky. 

Can  Ship  Direct  to  About  42,000  Stations. 

The  giant  magnitudes  might  only  interest 
the  student  of  social  phenomena  from  their  na- 
tional economic  bearing,  but  to    the    practical 


table  delay  caused  by  transferring  from  one 
line  to  another,  and  tlie  danger  of  his  shipment 
being  Jield  uj*  or  lost  at  some  transfer  point. 

The  widely  ramifying  connections  of  the 
Burlington  give  the  shipper  another  advan- 
tage. In  enables  the  agent  at  Streator  to  accept 
shipments  and  quote  routes  and  rates  to  any 
part  of  the  United  States.  If  the  shipment  is 
less  than  carload  lots  it  gives  the  advantage  of 
its  fast  freight  system.  Instead  of  being  ship- 
l)ed  on  the  painfully  slow  way-freight  it  is 
transfeired  at  Galesburg  or  Chicago  to  the 
through  freight  and  sent  direct  to  its  destina- 
tion in  a  special  car,  wliether  it  be  Xebraska  or 
California. 


View  of  C.  B.  &  Q.  Yards  and  Station. 


business  man  shipping  gciods  in  and  out  of 
Streator  they  have  a  totally  diffei'ent  siyniti- 
cauce. 

They  mean  to  him  that  he  can  shij)  over 
22,000  miles  of  track  without  transfer. 

They  mean  that  he  can  reach  about  4,200 
stations  in  the  United  States  without  going  olf 
the  rails  of  one  system. 

They  mean  speed,  promptness,  accuracy, 
dispatch,  avoidance  of  woriy  and  loss. 

So  it  is  that  to  be  situated  on  the  Burling- 
ton is  a  great  asset  to  any  town.  To  be  able  to 
ship  to  so  many  different  destinations  without 
change,  in  a  territory  that  affords  the  best  mar- 
ket in  the  world,  is  an  important  advantage  to 
the  producer.    It  insures  him  against  the  inevi- 


Business  Touched  With  Sentiment. 

The  Burlington  is  connected  with  the  early 
history  of  Streator  in  a  manner  that  touches 
closely  on  sentiment.  The  writer  was  talking 
to  President  Lemmon  of  the  C.  W.  &  V.  Coal  Co. 
a1)0ut  this  book,  and  he  said: 

"Why  don't  you  put  in  an  article  about  tiie 
'Q'?  It  was  intimately  connected  with  the 
coal  early  developments  of  the  town,  and  its 
officers  were  friendly  to  the  local  interests  of 
Streator,  and  gave  them  substantial  assistance 
in  many  ways." 

President  Lemmon 's  remark  is  entirely  true. 
While  it  may  have  been  a  policy  of  enlightened 
self-interest,  it  is  none  the  less  a  fact  that  our 
interests  were  mutual,  and  the  "Q."  pulled  for 


THi:    STOISV    OF   .STI{i:.\T(>R. 


41 


Streator.  Not  only  did  tliey  help  in  the  way  of 
rate  jirotcction,  hut  for  a  iirreat  many  years  the 
I'lii'lini^ton  lias  taken  half  the  output  of  the  C. 
W.  &  v.  ('(tai  Company.  It  is  the  chief  \mv- 
chaser  of  the  new  Third  \'ein  Coal,  and  the  first 
hif?  ooneern  to  put  the  seal  of  its  approval  on  it 
liy  (h'clarin;;-  it  to  l»e  the  best  eniifine  coal  yet 
runiislicd  hy  the  miiu-s  of  Northern  Illinois. 

The  Strcator  agent  of  the  Burlington  is  Mr. 
.\.  r>.  ('oh'.  Mi-.  Cole  has  been  connected  with 
this  system  for  28  years,  lie  was  nine  years 
agent  at  Fulton,  III.,  thirteen  years  at  Ottawa, 
and  has  been  six  years  at  Strcator.  Not  only 
is  ^Ir.  Cole  known  as  an  ellicieut  and  popular 
railroad  ollicial,  hut  he  is  highly  respected  as  a 
citizen,  actively  interested  in  every  good  word 
and  woi'k,  wliether  cixic  cdncatiouid  or 
reliifious. 


A.   B.  COl.K. 


BJ 


'TRADE  FOLLOWS  THE  FL/IG" 

LOCATE  ON  THE  WABASH 


The  above  is  the  motto  ol'  the  Waliash  b'ail 
road,  which  occupies  a  uiii<|ue  jiositii-n  among 
the  I'ailroads  of  Strcator  in  that  it  owns  a  l)elt 
line,  wliicli.  iieginning  at  Main  street  runs  out 
into  tjie  heart  of  the  shale  fields  south  of  the 
city.  Some  years  ago  the  Wabash  management 
with  far  seeing  e>e.  foi-esaw  tlie  indiistiial  de- 
velopment of  Streator,  and  bought  in  the  rail- 
road of. the  Coal  Hun  Coal  Company.  The  le 
suit  prove<l  the  wisdom  of  the  pur'^'hase.  A 
number  of  important  faetoi'ies  are  sitinited 
along  this  track,  sucli  as  the  W'estciii  (!lass 
( 'ompanx'.  Tile  I  liinois  Selling  Company,  tiic 
Streator  I'axiiiii  liiiek  ('(unjiany,  A.  ( ).  Fan- 
ning and  tile  Xational  Drain  Tile  Company.  A 
switch  engine  and  ci'cw  is  maintained  and  ex- 
cellent facilities  for  the  expeditious  handling  of 
Irallic  obtain.  In  addition  to  the  large  factories 
alrea<ly  planteil  on  the  Walnish  Helt  Line,  there 
are  a  mimbei-  of  ideal  industrial  sites  adjacent 
thereto  whicii  iire  still  available.  The  Wabash, 
therefore,  enjoys  exceptional  advantages  for 
furthering  the  industrial  development  of  the 
city,  and  stands  ready  at  all  times  to  assist  in 
promotini--  its  interest.  It  nmintains  an  Indus- 
trial |)epartnu-nt.  which  will  gladly  assist  in- 
terested parties  in  determining  on  a  locatiim 
that  is  entirely  suitalde  to  their  special  rcMjuire- 
ments.     It  devotes  special  attention  to  the  de- 


velojiment  of  industries  along  its  lines,  hence 
its  motto:  "Ti;iile  l'"oli(nvs  the  IIah:  Ijx-ntc  ( )ii 
the  Wabash. •• 

Foi-  geru'ral  trallic  pni'poses  llie  Wabash 
adds  to  the  other  I'aili'oad  ad\antages  of  Strea- 
tor liy  furnishing  it  direct  connections  to  the 
east  and  south,  as  well  as  gi\ing  it  another 
splendid  outlet  to  the  Central  West.  It  has  its 
own  dii-ect  lines  to  Chicago,  Detroit,  P>ul'l'alo 
and  DesMoines,  and  ojierating  in  conjunction 
with  connecting  systems  at  these  gate- ways, 
opens  to  Streatoi'  practically  all  the  gi'eat  pro 
ducing  and  consinning  markets  of  the  conntrx'. 

The  Wabash  takes  special  interest  in  jjro- 
moting  the  mercantile  business  of  the  town,  and 
its  passenger  train  service  is  arranged  with  spe- 
cial I'cference  to  the  accommodation  of  traders 
visiting  Streator  for  sh()|)ping  jmrposes.  They 
have  incoming  passenger  service  at  8:35  and 
10  a.  vn.  and  4:15  p.  m.;  outgoing  sen'iee  at  10 
a.  m.  and  r2:.">0  and  5  p.  m.  This  service  is 
greatly  appreciated  l)y  country  people  and  vil- 
lagers, who  come  in  large  numbers  daily  to 
Streator  to  do  their  trading. 

It  may  be  said  of  the  Waba.sh  that  it  is  re- 
cognized as  one  of  the  old.  tried  ami  solid  I'ail- 
roads  of  Anu'rica.  It  is  i)art  of  what  has  long 
been  known  as  the  (Jould  .system,  and  is  lirmly 
grounded  in  the  best  railroad  traditions.    It  has 


42 


THE  STORY  OF  STRKATOR. 


over  :^.")()0  miles  of  railroad,  i.-  asuressive,  pro- 
STessive  and  up-to-date. 

As  tliis  is  being"  written  word  comos  that  or- 
ders lia\e  ])en  i)laced  for  $:i,()l>0,000  worth  of 
steel  rails,  and  recently  re]iorts  were  received 
of  millions  of  dollars  of  orders  being  jdaced  for 
freight,  passenger  ears  and  engines,  all  of  the 


cipal,  labor  and  residence  facilities  offered  by 
the  city  of  Streator  merit  the  careful  considera- 
tion of  manufacturers,  business  and  profes- 
sional men  desiring  to  locate  where  conditions 
are  sucli  as  to  insure  the  successful  conduct  of 
their  business. 

For  information  reyardinii'     sites,     freight 


Map   of   Wabash    Lines.      The   Width    of   Page   Necessitated    Cutting     Off     That    Part     Showing     the     Connections 

With  Principal  Atlantic  Seaports. 


most  modern  models. 

'{"lie  c()iid)ined  advantages  of  geogra]>]iical 
location  with  relation  to  pi'lncijial  inai-kcts  of 
the  country,  proximity  to  the  great  bitumin- 
ous coal  fields  of  Illinois,  large  clay  and  shale 
beds,  excellent   transjiortation,  liankiiig,  muiii- 


lates.  transportation  service,  etc.,  call  on  or  ad- 
dress W.  L.  Bowhis,  Division  Freight  Agent, 
S]n-ing<ield.  111.;  II.  K.  Watts.  Ass't.  General 
Freight  Agent,  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  F.  W.  Cannon, 
Agent,  Streator,  III. 


"Vf^i  ~:y-fCi<< 


■Sfci"'-'    V*'-    •      1.- 


starved  Rock. 


THK    STOKV    <»F    STUKATOI!. 


•13 


THE  MAKERS  OF  THE  CITY 

LIFE  SKETCHES  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE    GREAT   INTER- 
ESTS WHICH  HAVE  HELPED  TO    BUILD    UP    STREATOR. 


DR.  W.  L  STREATOR 

AFTER  WHOM  CITY  WAS  NAMED. 


Till'  (Icsliiiy  (if  ii  town  is  prcliiiiircd  in  tlio 
i-liaractfi-  of  its  i^rcat  men.  \o  N-ss  in  tin-  social 
than  in  tlic  industrial  and  (•■•otioniir  life  of  tlic 
town  arc  the  IVaturi's  of  its  Iradcis  i-rcscivcd. 
and  tlu'ir  iiiflucnui'  por 
sists  in  a  tliou.-and  in 
tannililt'  ways,  even  af 
tcr  tlu'ir  iianu's  arc  for 
gotten.  Tims  it  is  that 
the  linihicrs  of  a  city, 
tliosc  who  shape  its 
plastic  and  formative 
days,  have  i\  heavy  re 
sponsiiiiiity,  for  they 
hnild  for  the  lonii 
ami  unending-  years; 
and  into  their  work  is 
linilded  their  lives  ami 
chaiacters  as  intu  a 
monnnient.  and  as  ilie> 
Imihl  well  or  ill.  they 
hnrt  or  help  llu'  future 
and  add  to  or  lake  from 
the  stream  of  life  that 
Hows  down  throuiih  the 
•enturies. 

S(i  it  is  that  any 
stoi'y  of  a  town  thiit 
chronicles  merely  its 
material  elements,  its 
coal,  its  clay,  its  ylass, 
is  Icavinu:  out  the  most 

important  factors  in  its  uiowth.  (Mlicr  towns 
in  Illinois  have  had  coal  .It'iiosits  and  rlcmrishcd 
wliile  it  lasted,  hut  where  arc  they  today .' 
With  the  exhaustion  of  their  coal  they  have  he- 
come  deserted  villaiifs,  and  a  lot  of  tumble- 
down shanties  mark  the  spot  where  once  they 
])rospere(l.  It  takes  men  as  well  as  materials  to 
nuike  a  town,  ami  so  it  has    been    tliouKlit  ad 


brief  sketches  of  a  few  of  the  men  win*,  in  var 
i(ms  ways,  have  coidributcd  most  to  its  up- 
luiildinji'.  'I'he  list  is  lu'cessarily  limited  and 
the  luunes  selecteil  for  presentation  arc  from 
anicni;  the  leaders  of  tlie  vai'ious  industries 
and  interests  represented  in  the  city.  Only 
one  reprcsentatix'c  has  been  taken  from  each 
interest,  and  it  is  believed  the  names  .selected 
will  bv  common    con>ent    be    apjiroved    as    the 

fittest      that      could      he 
chosen. 

It  is  apjiidpriatc  that 
the  first  portrait  anioni;- 
"The  .\Jakcrs  of  the 
City"  should  lie  that 
of  the  man  al'lei-  w  Imm 
the  cit  V  is  named,  I  )r. 
W.  L.  Streator.  of  Clevc 
land.  Ohio.  Dr.  Strea 
tor  was  the  leadiui*' 
spirit  amonn'  the  cajii- 
talists  who  came  here 
>lioitly  after  flic  war  to 
de\('lo)i  the  coal  lields. 
1  le  was  the  first  lucsi 
ilcut  of  the  \'ei'mil!ion 
('oal  Co.,  which  later 
iiecame  the  ('hicayo, 
W'ilniiuii'ton  ;k:  N'ermil 
lien  ( 'oal  ( 'ompanx'.  lie 
never  I'csidcd  in  Strea- 
tor himself,  but  he 
broui^ht  liere  the  num 
who  was  the  real  foun- 
iler  of  the  town,  and 
who  became  afterward 
its  most  honored  name, 
and  is  now  its  most  i-evered  memory — Cohuicl 
Ralph  i'hunb.  It  is  very  fittiii,-;'  that  the  city 
should  bear  tlie  name  of  him  who  discovered  it; 
of  him  who  oryauized  the  business  on  which  its 
earlier  development  almost  cntirelx  depended, 
and  who  iutroduce<l  and  made  possible  the 
residency  of  the  uu'.n  who  shaped  its  stalwart 
after  growth,    and  who     is  resi)onsil)le  for  the 


visablc  in  this  storv  of    Streator    to     include       character  and  status  of  tlie  Streator  of  today. 


44 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


COLONEL  RALPH   PLUMB 

FOUNDER  OF  THE  CITY. 


For  no  gift  of  nature,  or  no  advantage  of 
location  is  Streator  so  much  indebted  as  for  its 
great  men.  Its  founder,  Col.  Rali)h  Plumb,  was 
one  of  the  products  of  a  mighty  epoch — the 
epoch  tliat  iirodueed  Lincoln,  and  Grant,  Sum- 
ner and  Logan  and  the  other  giants  of  the  Civil 
War  ])eriod.  He  was  of  the  same  heroic  stat- 
ure, and  was  east  in  the  same  mould  as  those 
great  Titans.  He  thrilled  to  the  same  issues, 
vibrated  to  the  same 
passions  and  was  a  com- 
manding figure  in  the 
anti-slavery  battles  of 
those  turbulent  times. 
He  was  a  participant 
in  the  famous  Oberlin- 
Wellington  Rescue,  and 
with  thirty-six  others 
was  imprisoned  for  8-1 
days  in  an  Ohio  jail  for 
the  rescue  of  a  fugitive 
slave.  When  they  came 
out  they  were  met  by  a 
band  of  music,  a  salute 
of  100  guns,  and  greet- 
ed as  popular  idols.  Li 
1854  he  was  elected  to 
the  Ohio  legislature,  in 
which  he  served  three 
'terms,  was  a  friend  of 
Chase,  Wade,  Giddings, 
the  correspondent  of 
John  Brown,  and  was 
an  active  and  powerful 
champion  of  the  radical 
reform  measures  of 
those  days. 

AVlien  tiie  war  came  he  gave  his  services  to 
his  country  and  was  assigned  to  the  staff  of 
Gen.  (jarfield,  with  whom  he  held  friendly  and 
confidential  relations  until  the  latter's  untimely 
end.  He  continued  in  service  till  the  close  of 
the  war,  and  came  out  with  the  rank  of  Colonel. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  in  the  maturity  of 
his  powers,  he  came  to  Streator  to  open  up  the 
then  undevelojied  coal  fields.  As  the  head  of 
the  de\elopment  company  he  opened  mines, 
])latted  the  town  and  developed  a  great  in- 
dustry. Later  he  built  several  hundred  miles 
of  railroad  to  connect  the  new  village  with  the 
outside  world.     Streator    is     indebted     to  his 


initiative  and  influence  for  the  fine  park  of 
eleven  acres  in  the  centre  of  tlie  town,  which 
it  now  enjoys. 

He  laid  the  foundations  of  tJie  town  on  a 
broad  industrial  basis,  and  all  his  life  gave 
every  encouragement  to  factories,  railroads 
and  every  enterprise  calculated  to  upbuild  the 
town.  After  many  years  of  active  service  he 
decided  to  retire  from  business  and  give  his  at- 
tention to  the  higher  interests  of  life.  He  sold 
out  his  railway  and  other  interests,  and  be- 
came a  soldier  of  the  common  good.  He  built 
a  high  school  at  a  cost  of  $35,000  and  donated 
it  to  the  town,  erected  an  opera  hous,?  and  es- 
tablished the  Streator 
National  Bank.  When 
the  town  became  incor- 
porated as  a  city  he  was 
unanimously  elected  its 
first  mayor,  and  when 
in  1884  the  republicans 
of  his  district  called 
liim  to  be  their  repre- 
sentative in  Congress, 
he  was  triumphantly 
elected,  and  again  re- 
elected in  188(1.  He  was 
born  in  Busti,  New 
York,  on  ^March  20, 
181(5,  and  died  full  of 
years  and  honors  at  liis 
home  in  Streator  April 
8,  1903. 

His  last  public  ap- 
pearance was  at  the 
dedication  of  the  Car- 
negie Library,  Jan.  30, 
1903,  which  tlie  famous 
ironmaster  had  given 
the  town  at  the  i>ev- 
sonal  solicitation  of 
Col.  Plumb.  H  was 
during  the  correspondence  over  the  building  of 
tliis  library  that  Mr.  Carnegie  acknowledged 
Col.  Plumb  as  his  insi^iration  and  example  in 
his  philanthropies,  and  in  the  devotion  of  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  to  the  public  good. 

Col.  Plumb's  influence  lives  on  in  the  broad 
democratic  spirit  of  the  town;  in  the  absence  of 
caste  or  social  snobbery;  in  the  fine  enthusi- 
asms for  causes  calculated  to  advance  the  city 
or  the  nation;  in  the  liberality  and  oi<en-heart- 
ed  hospitality  with  which  it  receives  all  relig- 
ions, creeds  and  opinions,  and  welcomes  all 
men  of  all  classes,  races  and  ijeojjles. 


Tin:    STOKV    OK   STI{i:\Tf»H. 


45 


FAWCETT  PLUMB 

FIRST  IN  REAL  ESTATE. 


Xo  iiiMii  lias  written  liis  iuiiik'  more  deejily 
on  the  map  of  Streator  than  .Mr.  Fawcett 
Phnnl).  For  to  liini  more  tlian  any  otlier  is  dne 
its  physical  appearance,  its  additions,  its  sub- 
divisions, its  streets,  and  its  ifeneral  confonua- 
tion  as  a  town,  lie  it  was  who  oruinally  owned 
most  ol"  the  land  that  Streator  stands  on,  and 
who  laid  it  out  into  additions,  blocks  and  lots. 
It  was  his  wise  and  liberal  policy  that  made 
Streator  a  ttnvn  of  worlxinjrmen's  homes,  for  at 
an  early  day  he  institute(l  tlie  jiractice  of  low 
]>rices  and  easy  montidy  jiayments  on  lots  to 
encourajre  liome-owniiif;  by 
workers.  Xo  doubt  this  con- 
trii)uted  larjjely  to  Strea- 
tor's  i)rosi)erity  by  inducing!; 
settlement  by  steady  and 
thrifty  wmUers.  whose  stake 
in  the  town  made  them  con 
si'rvaf  ive,  and  not  easily 
persuaded  to  join  in  the 
strikes  and  turl)u!eTit  labor 
disputes  of  tiiosc  earl\  day~ 
in  till'  coal  fields. 

Hut  it  is  not  on  the  sur 
face  of  the  town  alone  that 
Mr.  I'lundi's  nnirk  is  observ- 
ed. 'I'he  imjirint  of  his 
hand  is  .seen  in  the  be;i;in- 
ninfj;s  «)F  every  important  in- 
dustry in  the  town.  In  the 
early  days  iie  was  interested 
in  coal  minin.i;,  and  when 
he  with  )ire.scieiit  eye  fore- 
saw the  ]iossible  exhaustion  of  thai  intlnstry, 
he  was  one  of  the  pioneer  experiiiienlei-s  with 
the  clays  of  the  town,  and  then  with  the  mak- 
inif  of  i^lass  in  Streator — the  two  industries 
wliich  later  came  to  be  the  town's  nniin  indus- 
trial reliance.  Later  he  invented  the  Plumb 
Steain  Tile  Ditcher,  one  of  the  lirst  power 
ditchers  on  the  market. 

lli^  interests  have  been  wonderfully  varied, 
ami  no  movement  or  enterprise  for  the  good  of 
Streator  but  has  felt  the  push  of  his  strone;  and 
stimulatinii:  hand.  Liberal  to  a  fault,  lie  has 
i;iveii  largely  of  land  and  money  to  help  the 
new  industries  wliicli  it  was  sought  to  plant  in 
Streator;  and  in  all  movements  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  tlie  town,  whether  economic,  civic 
or  social,  he  has  lieen  among  the  lirst  to  be  call- 


ed on  for  assistance  and  one  of  the  most  gen- 
erous in  response. 

Mr.  Plumb  has  been  an  independent  repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  conse(|uently  not  in  the 
line  of  political  promotion.  But  in  1872  he  was 
elected  to  the  state  senate  as  an  indepemlent 
by  a  coalition  of  democrats  and  greenbackers 
and  served  for  four  years.  He  held  the  olTice  of 
jiresident  jiro  teni  of  the  senate,  and  was  one  of 
a  group  of  three  who  held  the  balance  of  ]iower, 
which  th(\\'  used  to  elect  Judge  David  Davis 
instead  of  (Jen.  John  A.  Logan  to  tlie  Fnited 
States  Senate. 

He  served  as  ]irivafe  secretary  to  his  uncle. 
Col.  Halph  Plumb,  during  the  civil  war,  later 
studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
Albany.  X.  Y.  in  18()7.  Came  to  Pontine  and 
began  the  practice  of  law 
the  same  year.  Tii  18(58  he 
joined  his  uncle,  the  founder 
of  the  town,  in  Streator, 
where  he  has  renuiined  ever 
since.  Mr.  Plumii  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Stivator  Xa- 
tional  Lank,  is  owner  ol'  the 
ujicra  house,  president  nf 
the  Streator  Paving  lirick 
Comi)any.  and  is  actively 
engaged  in  real  estate  and 
other  important  enteri)ri.ses. 
He  was  born  in  Andover, 
( )liio,  in  is;!4,  and  at  tin- 
writing  ( IIMJ)  is  regarded 
as  the  most  reniarkaiile 
youth  of  77  for  energy,  ac- 
tivity and  zest  of  life  that 
can  be  found  in  these  parts. 
He  has  not  retired  from 
business,  and  as  long  as  he 
lives  he  will  work.  His  interest  in  Streator  is 
as  keen  and  his  faith  as  unbounded  as  it  was 
forty-tive  years  ago,  when  he  left  the  practice 
of  law  to  lay  out  the  real  estate  foundations 
of  the  city. 

Outwardly  a  man  of  bricks,  of  real  estate,  of 
business;  inwardly  a  dreamer,  a  mystic,  an  ar- 
dent student  of  the  (x-cnlt.  Li  atfairs,  slirewd, 
practical,  money-making;  in  his  heart,  gener 
ous,  lavish  of  time,  money  and  intluence  to 
every  fine  cause  that  reaches  him  with  its  ap- 
peal. Unostentatiously  liberal;  retiringly  boun 
tiful;  self-elVacingly  public-spirited.  Such  is 
Fawcett  Plumb  as  he  ajjjjears  to  one  who  has 
known  him  for  thirty  years.  Were  fortune  to 
bring  him  inillions,  no  one  would  sjiend  them 
more  liberallv  or  more  for  the  good  of  Streator. 


46 


THE  STORY  OF  STRRATOR. 


WALTER  REEVES 

LAWYER,  CONGRESSMAN,  PUBLICIST. 


Till'  next  striking  public  figure  iu  the  his- 
tory of  Streatoi'  belongs  to  a  later  generation. 
Born  .')2  years  after  Col.  Pluinl),  the  meridian 
of  his  life  coincided  with  the  declining  years  of 
his  venerated  jiredecessor.  AYliile  rising  to 
even  greater  heights  in  the  political  world,  the 
lines  of  his  activity  fell  in  more  peaceful  jier- 
iods  and  the  tur))ulent  issues  of  the  Civil  war 
were  not  within  the  scope  of  his  career.  Tliat 
career  found  its  zenith 
in  the  last  decade  of  the 
ninotenth  ccnlnry.  and 
it  is  not  beyond  the 
modesty  of  tnitli  to  say 
that  during  that  i)eriod 
Walter  Reeves  was  one 
of  the  dozen  men  in  the 
Congress  of  tlie  United 
States  wlio  diiected  the 
legislative  destinies  of 
the  nation.  He  wi.s 
elected  to  Congress  in 
1S!I4  by  a  republican 
niiijority  of  ."),()()(),  and 
was  re-elected  throi 
times  after  by  increa.sed 
majorities.  He  served 
in  Congress  on  imi^or- 
taiit  committees,  nota- 
bly the  Patent  and 
liiver  and  Harbor  com- 
mittees. He  introduced 
important  measures  in 
both,  and  was  Jiead  of 
tlie  I'ornier  and  next  to 


the  titular  head  in 


tlie 
in- 


lattei-.  I)ut  a  man" 
llncuce  in  Cojigress  is  not  mea.->ured  by  his  i)0- 
-ition  in  that  body.  There  is  always  a  small 
grou]j  who  are  the  directors  of  legislative  ])ol- 
icy,  and  in  this  group  Mr.  Reeves  stood  in  the 
forefr-ont  as  one  of  the  most  valued  leaders 
and  advisers. 

In  the  councils  of  his  party  in  the  state  his 
voice  was  listened  to  with  profound  resi)ect. 
He  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  State 
Central  Committee,  and  there  were  none  mo'e 
able  oi-  infiuential  in  devising  and  directing 
jiarty  jioiicies  along  high  and  honorable  Hues. 
For  the  petty  arts  and  tricks  of  politics  he  liad 
little  talent,  and  no     respect,     and     to  this     no 


doubt  is  due  the  fact  that  this  article  is  not 
headed  Governor  Walter  Reeves,  of  Illinois. 
For  it  is  generally  conceded  that  he  was  ac- 
tually or  ])otentially  nominated  for  governor 
by  the  dominant  republican  i)arty  at  the  Pe- 
oria convention,  and  was  cheated  out  of  it  by  a 
trick.  He  was  a  man  of  intense  loyalties,  and 
this  disa])pointment  did  not  swerve  him  one 
iota  from  his  allegiance.  It  is  illusti'ative  of 
tliis  nuirked  trait  of  his  character  that  be  ac- 
tually went  on  the  platform  and  camj^aigued 
for  the  very  man  who  had  played  the  trick  that 
defeated  his  nomination  for  governor. 

After  retii'ing  from  ))ublic  ofitice  hi'  returned 
to  the  practice  of  the 
law,  iu  which  he 
achieved  rai'c  tlistinc- 
tion  and  success,  and 
became  again  an  active 
member  of  the  firm  of 
Reeves  &  Boys. 

He  was  a  leader  of 
the  La  Halle  County 
bar,  and  frequently  ai>- 
peared  before  the  Su- 
preme Court,  where  his 
arguments  were  receiv- 
ed with  great  respect. 
At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  attorney 
for  the  state  of  Illinois 
in  the  famous  Economy 
Light  and  Power  case, 
which  involved  the  re- 
claiming of  the  streams 
and  water  ]iower  of  the 
state  from  the  corjiora- 
tions  and  i-est(U'ing 
them  to  the  peo])le. 
Ihiring  the  busiest  days 
of  his  law  ])ractiee  he 
always  found  time  to 
v.ork  for  Streatoi-,  and  was  for  years  the  active 
president  of  its  Imi)rcivement  Associatiori. 

But  eminent  as  he  was  in  law  and  ])olitics, 
his  distinction  as  a  man  transcended  both.  His 
was  a  personality  that  made  an  instant  imju-es- 
sion  in  any  and  every  presence.  Im|)erious  in 
person  and  manner,  his  distinguished  bearing- 
bespoke  him  as  one  born  to  command,  and  his 
courtesy  and  manifold  fairness  made  it  easy  to 
accept  his  le.ulership.  IJeiiig  asked  what  (lual- 
ity  of  his  friend  most  impressed  him,  Mr.  W. 
Boys,  the  seventeen  years'  law  partner  of  Mr. 
Reeves,  said:  "He  was  the  fairest  man  I  ever 
knew  in  all  m\-  life." 


I  hi:  sTom   OK  sTi{i:.\Tf>R. 


47 


And  III)  I'licoiiiiuiii  could  \w  liiii.T.  Larue 
iiiiiidcd,  hroad,  ift'iicroiis,  public  spirited,  a  lea- 
der of  leaders.  \\'altei'  Hi'cves  leaves  a  le,uacy 
to  tlie  youth  of  Streator  iuspirinj''  and  ounol)- 
linv:;  a  typical  American  hoy,  born  of  working 
parents,  raised  on  a  farm,  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools;  then  teaching  school  and  studying 
law;  then  admitted  to  the  bar  and  l)uilding  the 
foundation  of  his  caieer  by  his  own  unaided  ef- 
forts; he  is  the  stuff  of  wliieh  tlie  governors  and 
great  men  of  our  nation  hnxc  been.  an<l  will 
continui'  to  be  ma<le. 

Even  after  he  had  retired  persistent  rejiorts 
appeared  in  the  public  prints  of  his  iini>ending 
appointment  to  a  position  in  the  cabinet  of  the 
president.  So  vital  was  his  influence  in  higli 
places,  so  potent  his  grasp  on  national  politio, 
that  it  was  scarcely  believable  tiiat  AVaiter 
Hee\es  could  retii'e;  and 
there  is  little  donl)t  that  if 
untimely  Death  iia<l  not 
clainu'<l  him  he  would  have 
been  called  to  eminent  ser- 
vice in  the  senate  or  highest 
couni'ils  of  the  nation. 

lie  was  nuirried  in  ]S7<> 
to  Marietta  Cogswell,  who 
sni'vives  him.  It  was  an 
idyllic  uni(Mi.  Knightly  in 
his  ideal  of  womanhood, 
he  accepted  the  same  stau 
dard  for  liimsclf  and  lived 
a  Chexalier  Uayard — with- 
out fear  an<l  without  re- 
proach. 

If  ever  Streator  tnrn> 
(Hit  a  statesnnin  of  national 
ranU.  the  lives  of  its  two 
great  publii-ist.s,  ('(>l.  Ralph 
rhiiid)  and  Walter  Ifeeves 
will  speak  again  through  him;  for  no 
aspiring  youth  can  escape  their  all  per- 
vasive example  and  influence  in  Strc.dor. 


.MATTIIKW 


MATTHEW  W.  JACK 

MANUFACTURER  OF  BOTTLES 


Among  "'Phe  Maki-r-  of  the  City"  there  is 
one  name  that  stands  out  witli_  a  i>rominence 
all  its  own.  It  is  the  name  of  M.  W-  •Ta(d<, 
President  of  the  Amerii-an  Bottle  Comjiany. 
"Whatever  el.se  may  entei-  into  tlie  making  of  a 
city,  there  is  one  indispensable  pre-requisite. 
anil   that    is  productive  indu>tr\  ;    for    without 


industry  there  can  be  no  population,  and  with- 
out population  no  city.  .Mr.  .lack  rejiresents  in 
a  pre-eminent  way  the  dominant  industry  of 
the  town.  Not  only  is  he  its  re))resentative. 
but  in  a  large  degree  its  pioneer,  its  develojier, 
its  creator. 

Away  back  in  ISSl  a  group  of  enterprising 
citizens,  bent  on  ])romoting  the  business  wel- 
fare of  the  town,  started  what  was  then  known 
as  the  Streator  Bottle  and  (ilass  ('onip:\ny. 
'Pheii-  nu'ans  were  small,  but  their  courage  was 
strong,  and  they  put  all  the  capital  !liey  could 
rai.se  into  a  small  eight-pot  bottle  factcuy.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  what  is  now  the  magnifi- 
cent j)lant  of  the  American  Bottle  Company, 
and  it  well  illustrates  what  may  be  dt)ne  for  a 
town  by  men  ol'  limited  means,  if  they  have  the 
iiiitiati\e,  the  courage  and  the  enterprise.  The 
leading  sjjirits  among-  those 
adventurers  in  a  uew  in- 
dustry certainly  deserve 
lo  bi'  chronicled  lieri'.  for 
to  them  in  laryi'  in('a-.iire 
Streatoi'  owes  its  prosperous 
existence.  Among  liiosc  who 
coojierated  with  Mr.  .lack 
in  initiating  the  Streator 
liuttlc  >.^-  (ilass  Company 
were  II.  X.  Rvon.  F.  M. 
\iynu.  W.  .1.  \Viili..ni>,  .1.  (;. 
Wilson.  John  Funk  and  W. 
W.  Haskell,  the  InC-r  being 
also  its  first  president. 

Xot  one  of  these  jiioneers 
had  any  experience  in  the 
ylass  business,  nor  was  there, 
as  in  these  days,  a  promoter 
Id  direct  the  new  scheme. 
With  singular  foresight, 
howe\'er,  they  took  a  uuin 
from  behind  a  grocery  countei'  and  made  him  su- 
intendent  of  the  factory.  That  man  was  M.  \V. 
.Jack,  lie  too.  was  ignorant  of  the  glas-  busi- 
ness, hut  he  had  indomital)le  perseverance,  re- 
sourcefulness, adajitability  and  courage,  lie 
bent  himself  to  his  task  autl  for  two  ye;irs  the 
>trnggle  was  a  hard  one.  The  limited  means 
of  the  company  nmde  the  situation  dillicult, 
and  Mi-.  .Jack  saw  early  that  if  the  business 
was  to  succeed  more  cajiital  was  needed.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  set  about  to  remedy 
the  defect.  The  local  resources  having  been 
exhausted,  he  sought  assistance  among  tliose 
with  whom  trade  i-elations  had  brought  him  in 
contact,  and  was  foitunate  in  interesting  .Mr. 
Adoli)lius  Busch,  of  St.  Louis.  With  the  advent 


.I.\IK. 


48 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


of  Mr.  Hiiscli  into  tlie  ooiiipaiiy  the  question  of 
cjipita]  was  solved,  and  tlie  business  moved  for- 
ward by  leaps  and  bounds.. 

Fi'om  being  superintendent  Mr.  Jack  was 
])romoted  to  be  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and 
a.i-ain  to  l)e  President  and  Treasurer  of  tlie 
Sti-eator  Bottle  and  Glass  Company.  jMean- 
lime  great  changes  had  taken  place.  The  small 
pot  furnaces  had  given  way  to  the  continuous 
tank,  the  number  of  furnaces  had  increased 
from  one  to  six,  the  company  purchased  the 
Streator  Flint  Works,  and  enlarged  and  con- 
verted them  into  bottle  factories.  Its  trade 
had  enonnously  expended  till  it  covei-ed  nearly 
eveiy  state  in  tlie  union  and  overflowed  into 
Canada  and  ^Mexico.  In  IDOG  the  American 
Bottle  Company  was  organized  and  the  Strea- 
tor  Bottle  &  Glass  Company  became  one  of  the 
important  factors  in  the  eousolidation.  It  was 
capitalized  at  $10,000,000,  and  Mr.  Jack  was 
elected  president  of  the  new  corporation,  which 
position  he  still  retains. 

P"'rom  grocery  clerk  to  head  of  a  ten-million 
dollar  c(u-poration  in  twenty-five  years  would 
in  any  other  age  or  country  be  held  as  an  as- 
tounding achievement  .But  in  modern  America 
it  is  accepted  as  belonging  to  the  usual  and  ex- 
]K'cted  ccmrse  of  events.  j\Iost  of  the  heads  of 
giant  corporations  have  traveled  a  similar 
cour.se,  and  it  is  rare  to  find  a  great  captain  of 
industiy  who  has  not  risen  from  the  ranks  by 
his  own  efforts.  Mr.  Jack's  career  is  ty])ical. 
B(u-n  of  farmer  jiarents  in  Old  Cliestei',  Pa.,  in 
1855,  he  remained  tliere  till  seven  years  of  age, 
then  moved  with  the  family  to  a  farm  in  Lan- 
caster County,  Pa.,  Here  he  remained  until 
nine  years  old,  when  he  was  sent  to  Phila 
delpliia  to  learn  the  car  building  trade. 
Here  he  served  four  years  with  tlie  firm 
of  Muri)hy  &  Allison.  He  then  worked  at 
the  carpenter  trade  in  I'liilailelphia  for  about 
a  year,  and  then  tra\eled  as  a  journevnum 
through  Pennsylvania,  Illinois  and  Iowa.  When 
(ifteen  years  old,  in  1S70,  he  arrived  in 
Streator,  where  after  working  at  his  trade  a 
short  time,  he  entei'ed  the  employ  of  Overliolt 
&  Holmes  as  a  clerk,  where  he  remained  about 
three  years.  He  then  remained  in  merchandis- 
ing on  his  own  account  as  a  niembei-  of  the  firm 
of  Jack,  Dagan  &  Overliolt,  and  continued  for 
about  three  years,  when  the  business  was  sold, 
and  he  became  manager  of  the  dry  goods  depart- 
ment for  Arthur  Bros.  He  remained  here  until 
called  to  what  was  to  be  his  life  work — the 
management  and  direction  of  great  glass 
interests. 

It  was  during  these  earlv  vears  in  Streator 


that  .Mr.  .Jack  gave  himself  the  education  that 
enabled  him  to  cope  successfully  with  the  large 
(piestions  that  came  to  him  in  after  life.  De- 
nied the  advantages  of  academic  training,  he 
set  to  work  to  acquire  a  good  business  educa- 
tion, and  at  home  and  night  school  he  succeed- 
ed in  fitting  himself  for  his  work.  He  also 
studied  law  with  Chubbuck  &  Wall,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  but  never  jaractieed. 

During  his  -12  years  residence  in  Streator 
IMr.  Jack  has  been  warmly  interested  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  its  welfare  and  has  loyally 
furthered  every  movement  for  its  advancement. 
His  home  is  here,  his  friends  are  here,  and  to 
everybody  he  is  the  same  genial,  affable,  cour- 
teous friend  and  neighbor  that  he  was  in  his 
store-keeiiing  days  in  the  long  ago.  His  eleva- 
tion to  high  positions  has  given  liim  oi)portuni- 
ties  to  push  the  interests  of  his  home  town, 
which  he  has  been  quick  to  avail  himself  of, 
but  in  no  other  way  has  it  operated  to  change 
the  frank  and  unaffected  simplicity  of  his  char- 
acter and  manner. 


CAPT.  T.  A.  LEMMON 

MINER  OF  COAL. 


To  write  the  story  of  Streator  and  leave  out 
the  Chicago,  Wilmington  &  \'erniillion  Coal 
Company  would  be  like  playing  the  tragedy  of 
Hamlet  and  leaving  out  the  Prince  of  Den- 
mark. For  in  the  early  history  of  the  town  the 
])art  of  the  C.  W.  &  V.  was  as  important  as 
that  of  the  jn'ince  in  the  ]ilay.  It  not  only  rep- 
resented the  dominant  industry  of  the  town, 
but  was  itself  the  commanding  and  controlling 
factor  in  that  industiy.  The  writer  is  not  a 
believer  in  the  current  ])latitude  that  corjiora- 
tions  have  no  souls;  he  believes,  on  the  con- 
trary that  their  souls  are  the  souls  of  the  men 
who  dominate  them,  and  partake  of  their  vices 
and  virtues.  The  man  who  is  today  the  soul  of 
this  corporation  is  Captain  Thomas  A.  Lem- 
mon,  president  of  the  com]>any.  Cajit.  Leni- 
mon  has  been  with  the  C.  W.  &  V.  for  forty 
years  and  with  the  fonner  president,  A.  ]j. 
Sweet,  and  Su])t.  W.  S.  Cherry,  was  active  in 
directing  the  policies  of  the  company  during 
the  formative  and  creative  days  of  the  town. 
What  the  influence  of  the  company  was,  and 
what  it  might  have  been  may  be  inferred  from 
a  contenijilation  of  the  ruined  and  deserted 
mining  cam^is  scattex-ed  over  the  state.  That 
Streator  is  not  such  a  camp  is  due  largely  to  the 
policy  of  the  company.    What  was  that  policy? 


THK  STORY  OF  STREATOH. 


49 


As  an  finjiloye  in  the  mines  of  (he  company 
in  (iiose  early  days,  the  writer  can  speak  witli 
the  voice  of  personal  intimacy  and  knowled,si:e. 
Its  policy  was  in  tlie  main  broad,  intelli'rent, 
humane,  remarkably  so  when  it  is  consi(lered 
tliat  this  was  before  the  days  of  national  labor 
unions  wliich  have  since  l)ecome  so  important  a 
factor  in  tlie  dealinsjs  between  miners  and  o])er- 
ators.  It  was  probably  the  first  coal  corpora- 
tion to  f:;ive  its  workmen  a  yearly  wasre  aj^ree- 
ment  which  the  miners  had  an  iinimrtant  part 
in  framing:,  and  which  contained  liberal  provis- 
ions fur  the  health,  convenience  and  safety  of 
the  men.  It  always  was  on  the  affirmative  side 
of  tlie  coal  market,  and  stnod  for  the  mainten- 
ance of  prices,  and  thus  marie 
jiossible  the  payinji;  of  fair 
wafjes.  It  is  an  evidence  of  its 
dis])osifion  that  at  one  time  it 
I'stablislicd  a  slidin;;  -;i'ale.  ^iv- 
iiin  tlie  miners  a  share  of  the 
jirofits  without  demand  or 
solicitation. 

This  liberal  policy  attract 
ed  to  the  town  a  fine  body  of 
men,  mainly  from  the  mine-  of 
fJreat  IJritain.  'i'iieii  i|ualit> 
may  l)e  inferred  from  the  f-ict 
that  Streator  miners  furnished 
most  of  the  mine  inspectors  for 
the  state  duriu":  the  earl\ 
years  of  the  mining  law;  ami 
have  contributed  a  larjje  nuni 
ber  of  mine  manairei's  and  sii 
perintcndcnt-i  since  mining  has 
been  i)ut  t)n  a  scientific  basis  in 
the  state.  These  men  receixcd 
their  incentive  and  traininir 
largely  from  the  officers  of  tlu' 
coiripany,  especially  from  its 
sujierintendent,    AV.  S.  Cherry. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  for  a  period  of 
twelve  years  there  was  not  a  strike  or  labor 
trouble  in  the  mines  of  this  cominmy  in  Strea- 
tor. The  men  larirely  owned  their  own  homes, 
and  were  an  intelli,<;ent.  conservative  body; 
not  by  any  means  crinirini;:  and  subservient, 
but  men  who  knew  somethini;  of  the  laws  of 
trade,  and  were  able  to  .judsje  when  they  were 
fairly  dealt  with.  It  was  t-lie  Iii.i,di  quality  of 
its  working  men  that  ditTerentiated  Streator 
from  other  mining  villajres  and  kept  it  on  the 
ma])  after  others  had  been  wii)ed  out.  It  ijave 
Streator  a  reputation  for  stability  and   sound- 


T.  A. 


ness  that  made  it  attractive  to  investors;  and 
many  of  these  early  miners  or  their  sons  have 
become  leadinji,'  business  men  and  supporters 
of  its  business  enterprises. 

The  present  i)resident,  Capt.  T.  A.  Lemmon, 
has  been  associated     with  the     company  since 
187l2,  the  year  the  present  com])any  consolidat- 
ed with  the  old     A'emiillion     Coal     Company, 
which  opened  the  first  mine  in  Streator.    He  is 
also  treasurer  of  the  Eureka  Coal  &  Dock  Com- 
pany.   He  was  bom  in  New  Albany.  Ind.,  and 
educated  in  the  i)ublic  and  hiiih  schools  of  that 
city.     l)urin>f  the  Civil  War     he     served  from 
18()1  to  18(;5  as  a  member  of  the  5th  Ohio  Cav- 
alry, in  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.     After  the 
war  for    a   time,    he    was    en- 
,a:aged    in    the    clothing    busi- 
ness   in    Louisville,  Kentucky. 
He  came  to  Chicago     in     1860 
and     entei-ed    the    employ    of 
E.  i).  Taylor  &  Son,  coal  deal- 
ers, as  bookkee])er.     hater  he 
was  with  Taylor  &  Thomas  for 
one  year,  and     then    launched 
into  the  coal  business  for  him- 
self, organizing    the     finn     of 
Lemmon     &     Cornish.       This 
business  was  burned  out  in  the 
fire  of  '7L  find  in  the  following 
year  Capt.  Lemmon  began  his 
.services  with  the    company  of 
wliich  he  is  now  president. 

The  companj'  is  still  the 
leading  factor  in  the  coal  busi- 
ness in  Streator.  and  Presi- 
<lent  Lemmon  has  recently  said 
that  at  the  present  rate  of  min- 
ing its  third  veiji  product  it 
Lemmon.  has  acreage  enough  to  last  for 

a  hundred  years,  even  if  the 
l)opulation  of  Streator  should  be  midtiplied 
many  times  and  many  large  fuel  consuming  in- 
dustries should  !)('  added  to  tiiose  we  now  have. 


C.  C.  BARR 

MAKER  OF  BRICK. 


Reticent  in  words,  eloquent  in  deeds,  Mr.  C. 
C.  Barr  prefers  that  the  unvarj'ing  nde  of  his 
life  .shall  not  be  broken,  and  accordingly  no 
portrait    of  him    appears    on  this    page.     In 


50 


THK   STORY  OF  STRKATOR. 


deference  to  the  same  spirit  of  reticence  tlie  ap- 
preciati^'e  words  that  plead  for  utterance  must 
also  be  suppressed.  But  the  real  portrait  of  C. 
C.  Barr  appears  on  another  page,  where  the 
storv  of  his  factory  appears.  For  it  is  into 
his  f acton-  that  he  has  poured  the  best  of  his 
life;  in  its  well-contrived  structure  will  be 
found  the  imprint  of  his  hand  and  lu-ain;  and 
in  its  efficiency  and  economy  of  operation  will 
be  seen  the  traces  of  his  energizing  spirit.  In 
still  greater  degree,  perhaps,  is  the  mark  of 
his  genius,  felt  in  the  organizing  of  the  human 
factors  in  production,  in  the  smooth  and  frip- 
tionless  disposition  of  his  labor  forces,  and  in 
the  willing  spirit,  good  cheer  and  contentment 
that  animate  his  workers. 

Mr.  Ban-  built  his  first  factory-  here  in  the 
years  of  1892  and  189.3.    It    was  not  his    inten- 
tion at  first  to  remain  in  personal  charge  of  the 
plant.    But  the  first  years  were  years  of  experi- 
ment, and  the  experiments     were     not  always 
successful.    It  took  some  time  to  find  out  just 
what  kind  of  treatment  Streator  shale  required 
to  make  it  turn  out  a  marketable  product;  and 
Mr.  Barr  finally  decided  that  tlie  enterprise  re- 
quired his  personal  attention,     and    so  settled 
down  in  Streator  to  donate  all  of  his  energies 
to  the  management  of  his  plant.     It  was  a  for- 
tunate thing  for  the  town,  for  in  the  ycnrs  tliat 
have  ensued  Mr.  Barr  has  built    up    one  of  the 
biggest  and  most  substantial  clay  industries  in 
the  west,  and  given  to  the  city  one  of  its  most 
valued  and  respected  institutions.    His  success 
lias  demonstrated  that  the  sliale  beds  of  Strea- 
tor are  its  most  important  assets,  and  that  the 
future  fortunes  of  the  town  are  in  large  meas- 
ure bound  up  with  this  industry.     Mr.  Barr  is 
a  believer  in  the  future  of  paving    brick;  that 
tlie  time  is  coming  when  all  the  country  roads 
will  be  paved  with  vitrified  shale  products,  and 
that  Chicago  and  the  great  north-west  will  cre- 
ate a  great  demand  which  can  be  best  supplied 
from  the  points  most  advantageously  situated 
to  produce  and  ship  the  brick.    Perhaps  it  was 
this  faith  that  led  Mr.  Barr  in    1911    to    reor- 
ganize and  extend  his  jolant  to    the    extent  of 
doubling  his  capacity.  Starting  with  a  ca]3acity 
of  50,000  brick  a  day,  he  is  now  ca])able  of  pro- 
ducing 200,000  a  day,     a  four-fold    growth  in 
twenty  years.    He  has  also  increased  his  hold- 
ings of  shale  land,  having  now  a  supply  of  115 
acres.     When  iimning  at  full  capacity  he  em- 
ploys from  300  to  325  men. 

C.  C.  Barr  was  bom  in  White  County,  Indiana, 
on  Dec.  1.3,  1851.    After  a  common  school  edu- 


cation he  became  attracted  to  the  work  of  engi- 
neering. He  was  a  member  of  the  engineer 
corps  employed  in  the  construction  of  the  Texas 
&  Louisiana  railroad.  He  later  became  a  part- 
ner in  the  firm  of  Anderson  &  Barr,  whose  spe- 
cialty was  pneumatic  work,  deep  foundations 
and  soft  ground  tunneling.  They  became  a 
successful  firm  and  were  entrusted  with  many 
important  enterprises.  Among  the  liig  jobs 
done  by  Anderson  &  Barr  was  the  building  of 
the  substructure  of  the  Merchants'  bridge  at 
St.  Louis,  and  of  the  bridge  at  Cairo,  111.  Their 
most  conspicuous  piece  of  work  was  the  sub- 
structure of  the  Hawksl)ury  Eiver  bridge  at 
Sydney,  Australia,  at  that  time  the  deepest 
foundation  in  the  world. 

Mr.  Barr's  interest  in  Streator  begun  with 
his  building  and  ownership  of  the  street  rail- 
way, which  has  since  been  sold  to  other  inter- 
ests. Being  attracted  by  the  shale  prospects  he 
retired  from  the  firm  of  Anderson  &  Barr  to 
give  his  full  time  to  their  development.  He 
built  a  fine  residence  in  the  town,  and  settled 
down  to  become,  it  is  hoped,  a  permanent 
resident. 


WALTER  L  ROSS 

RAILROAD  MAN. 


No  reckoning  of  the  forces  that  entered  into 
the  making  of  Streator  vrould  be  complete  that 
omitted  the  railroads;  and  no  man  is  so  fitted 
to  represent  their  contribution  to  the  u]>build- 
ing  of  the  town  as  Walter  L.  Ross,  Vice  Presi- 
dent of  the  Chicago  &  Alton  and  associated 
railways.  For  Mr.  Ross  laid  the  foundations 
of  his  "reputation  as  a  railroad  manager  during 
his  twenty  years  service  in  Streator;  and  in 
doing  so  was  able  to  be  of  great  value  to  the 
transportation  and  industrial  interests  of  the 
city.  During  his  years  in  Streator  important 
developments  were  being  made  in  the  railway 
situation,  new  combinations  were  formed,  new 
rates  were  being  established  and  new  direc- 
tions were  being  given  to  traffic.  Mr.  Ross  was 
in  charge  of  the  interests  of  the  Indiana,  Illi- 
nois and  Iowa  R.  R.  when  that  line  was  estab- 
lishing its  position  as  the  outlet  belt  line  which 
enabled  east  bound  traffic  to  avoid  Chicago 
with  its  heavy  charges,  and  made  Streator  the 
gateway  between  the  east  and  the  west.  He 
formed"  advantageous  connections  for  his  belt 
line  with  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  and  the  Santa  Fe  rail- 


'^f\1F*».Jt 


TIIK  STORY  f)F  STISKXTOH. 


51 


roads  that  stand  today,  and  wliicli  pend  the 
ilrcsscd  moats  of  Oniaiia  and  Kansas  City,  and 
otlier  liigh  class  freight  thi-ongli  Streator  to 
tlie  cast.  Tn  fact  it  i)laced  Strcator  on  the  inap 
for  eastern  hiisincs<  for  tlic  Hrsi  time.  Favor- 
ahlc  rates  were  estalilished  for  bottles  and 
other  Streator  products,  and  in  a  general  way 
it  may  be  .stated  that  during  Mr.  Koss'  regime 
more  was  done  in  tlic  way  of  rate  adjustment 
than  at  any  otiier  time  in  the  liistory  of  tlie 
town,  and  on  tlie  freij^iit  basis  then  eVtablishert 
Streator's  future  will  depend  more  than  on  any 
other  single  factor. 

While  ])rinuirily  a  railroad  man.  Mr.  Ross 
was  active  in  every  movement  for  the  benefit 
of  the  town.  He  was  the  first  secretary  of  the 
Strcator  Club  and  coIIccte(l  tiie  funds  to  estab- 
lish its  first  clul)  rooms;  and  he  was  its  jiresi- 
dent  when  the  building  was  erected  which  it 
now  occupies.  While  agent  for  the  Wabasli  he 
made  the  contract  for  the  purchase  of  the 
i'lumb  switfh.  along  which  are  ojterated  im- 
portant shale  and  irlass  industries.  He  was  in- 
strumental in  locatintr  the  Barr  Clay  AVorks 
and  the  Streafor  Clay  ^raimfacturinir  Com- 
pany's factories  along  the  line  of  the  Wabash; 
also  in  the  extension  of  tlie  I.  1.  &  I.  Railroad 
to  Zearim;.  and  the  locution  of  the  factory  of 
tile  \'ulcan  Detinning  Company  on  that  line, 
lie  solicited  the  fumls  that  erected  the  Locke 
factory  building.  sin<'e  the  home  of  the  Metal 
Stamping  Company. 

If  was  durinn'  these  active  years  that  tin' 
abilities  of  Mr.  Ross  attracti'd  the  attention  of 
Mr.  Paul  Morton.  .Mr.  T.  P.  Shouts  and  Mr. 
(ieo.  II.  Ross,  who  were  then  intorested.^in  the 
1.  I.  i^'  1.  R.  R.,  and  who  have  since  become  cou- 
s|)icuous  liyures  in  the  iailrn;id  world.  ^Wlien 
tliey  ac(|uired  the  Clover  Leaf  System  Mr.  Koss 
was  invited  to  accompany  them.  He  went  to 
Toledo  and  was  made  Assistant  Oener'il 
Freight  aiitl  Passenger  Ageiit,  and  tlien  was 
promoted  to  be  Oeneral  Freiiiht  and  Passen- 
ger Agent,  and  later  was  advanced  to  Ceneral 
Trailic  Manager. 

It  was  while  filling  these  jiositions  that  Mr. 
Ross  came  in  contact  with  Mr.  Edwin  Ha.wley. 
Thomas  IT.  Hubbard.  Mr.  AV.  C.  Brown  and 
other  members  of  that  group  which  has  since 
come  to  be  known  as  the  "Hawley  group." 
This  has  come  to  be  one  of.  the  most  powerful 
and  aggressive  bodies  of  railroad  financier.,  in 
.Xmcrica.  and  Mr.  Ross  is  one  of  the  most  val- 
ued tratlic  men.  He  now  holds  the  following 
positions:     A'ice  President   of  the  Chicago   & 


Alton,  of  the  Toledo,  St.  Louis  &  Western,  and 
the  Iowa  Central  M.  St.  L.  He  is  also  a  di- 
rector of  the  Detroit  &  Toledo  Short  Line. 

There  i.;  nothing  uimsual  in  the  rise  of  Wal- 
ter L.  Ross.  It  is  the  case  of  the  typical  Ameri- 
can boy,  illustrated  in  the  ascent  of  most  of 
America's  ca]>tains  of  industry  and  kings  of 
finance. 

He  was  born  in  Bloomington,  111.,  Jan,  1. 
18(i5,  had  a  common  school  education,  became 
a  messenger  boy,  then  a  clerk  in  the  Western 
Fnion  Telegrapli  olTices.  He  advanced  rapidly, 
came  to  Streafor  in  1S85,  where  he  served  as 
.joint  agent  of  the  I.  I.  &  I.  and  Wabash  rail- 
roads. On  the  division  of  these  interests  he 
became  Division  Freight  &  Passenger  Auent  of 
the  I.  I.  iV:  I.,  an<l  in  lOO.')  he  left  Streafor  to  en- 
ter the  greater  career  which  his  abilities 
opened  up  to  him.  He  still  thinks  of  Streutor 
as  home.  Here  is  where  he  married  his  wife, 
where  his  ciiildren  were  born,  and  where  his 
father  anil  mother.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  S.  Ross, 
still  live.  A  man  of  loyal  friendsliip  and  af- 
fections, he  still  maintains  a  lively  interest  in 
the  industrial  pros|)erity  of  his  old  home,  and 
Streafor  has  no  stauncher  friend  in  the  railroad 
world,  or  one  more  able  ov  more  willing  to 
help. 


R.  W.  CRAWFORD 

BUILDER  OF  CARS. 


The  representatives  hitherto  discussed  as 
"The  Makei-s  of  llie  City"  have  been  men  who 
have  been  associated  with  tlie  jiast  and  ])resent 
of  the  city.  Looking  around  among  the  newer 
men,  those  who  represent  its  pre.senf  and  fu- 
ture, the  name  of  R.  W.  Crawford,  car  builder, 
comes  to  mind  as  ])re-eminently  tlio  most  fit 
and  striking  example. 

A  maker  of  maxims  says,  "Some  are  born 
great,  some  achieve  greatness  and  some  have 
greatness  thrust  upon  tliem."  It  is  a  catchy 
line,  but  it  is  not  true.  There  is  and  there  can 
be  no  greatness  as  there  is  and  can  be  no  suc- 
cess for  one  save  that  which  he  strives  for  and 
wins. 

One  may  be  born  rich  or  have  riches  thrust 
upon  him;  but  the  mere  possession  of  wealth  is 
not  even  an  approach  to  the  temple  of  gi-eatness 
or  .success.  Success  means  continued  efToit  and 
sacrifice;  it  means  the  overcoming  of  diHiculty, 
the  traveling  of  roads  of  one's  own  building,  the 


|,riLUK 


52 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


scaling  of  ladders  of  one's  own  making,  and  in 
the  main  it  means  that  eacli  mnst  Iniild  and 
climb  alone. 

In  substance  what  is  here  said  api^lies  to 
R.  W.  Crawford,  of  this  city,  who  began  with 
little,  practically  nothing,  but  has  won  success. 
Those  who  view  things  superficially  look  upon 
his  rise  as  meteoric,  but  others,  who  know 
that  for  every  result  there  is  cause,  realize  that 
the  place  Mr.  Crawford  holds  is  neither  acci- 
dental or  providential,  but  on  the  contrary,  is 
the  logical  outcome  of  years  of  struggle,  of 
endless  planning,  well 
directed  ambition,  of 
cleanliness  of  life,  of 
courage,  fortitude  and 
farsightedness  —  the 
characteristics  that  all 
successful  men  possess, 
tlie  personal  endow- 
ments that  make  cir- 
cumstances their  crea- 
tures instead  of  their 
being  creatures  of  cir- 
cumstances. 

R.  W.  Crawford  has 
been  in  Streator  five 
years.  He  came  here 
with  less  ready  casli 
than  fifty  acres  of  land 
in  the  vicinity  of  the 
city  would  sell  ior  to- 
day, and  yet,  within 
that  short  time  and 
with  that  limited  capi- 
tal, backed  by  a  h'vj, 
purpose  and  disciplined 
capability,  he  has  de- 
veloped a  business  and 
erected  a  plant  which  a 
half  million  dollars 
would  not  tempt  liim  to  part  with. 

Mr.  Crawford  was  born  in  Scotland  in 
1865,  where  he  remained  until  twenty  years  of 
age,  when  he  came  to  America  and  located  in 
Western  Texas.  At  twenty,  he  caught  the  fe- 
ver of  western  migration  and  for  the  next  three 
years  made  his  home  in  National  City,  and  San 
Diego,  California.  Here  he  became  the  assist- 
ant of  the  noted  engineer,  J.  C.  Schuyler,  whose 
work  lay  in  building  dams  across  rivers,  laying 
pipe  lines  and  in  locating  and  erecting  irriga- 
tion plants. 


R.  W.  Crawford 


returned  to  his  old  home  in  Scotland  and  en- 
gaged his  old  master  as  an  instnictor  in  civil 
and  mechanical  engineering  and  the  higher 
mathematics,  and  upon  returning  to  Amer- 
ica he  associated  himself  with  the  American 
Locomotive  Comiiany,  a  big  manufacturing 
concern  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  where  he  gain- 
ed a  ])ractical  and  closer  acquaintance  witli  his 
chosen  calling,  and  in  addition  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  executive  work.  After  a  length- 
ened service  with  this  company  he  went  to 
[Montreal,  Canada,  where  he  pursued  afresh  his 

academic  studies,  after 
whicli  he  went  to  north- 
west Canada  in  an 
executive  position  with 
a  big  railroad  com- 
jiany. 

It  was  while  in  the 
Northwest  that  he  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  car- 
building  and  car  I'epair- 
ing,  and  he  came  to  Chi- 
cago with  the  view 
to  inducing  some  man 
with  capital  to  become 
his  associate.  He  failed 
in  this,  but  while  in 
Chicago  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a 
manufacturer  who  was 
seeking  a  location  in  Il- 
linois. In  company  with 
this  gentleman  he  trav- 
eled through  Southern 
Illinois  and  on  the  re- 
turn trip,  botli  stopped 
oft"  for  a  short  visit. 

While  here  Mr. 
Crawford  met  Mr.  O. 
B.  Ryon,  Mr.  Walter 
Reeves  and  three  or  four  other  members  of 
the  Streator  Improvement  Association,  now 
known  as  the  Streator  Commercial  Club,  and 
the  result  of  this  meeting  is  the  presence  of 
the  Crawford  Locomotive  Sc  Car  Works  in 
the  city  of  Streator  today.  Mr.  Crawford  finds  a 
place  in  this  memorial  to  Streator  because  he 
is  a  city  builder  in  a  big  way  and  because  his 
success  in  the  world  is  in  hannony  with  the 
spirit  of  the  west  and  because  it  is  an  inspira- 
tion to  every  young  man  with  brain  and  a  pur- 
pose. He  is  a  typical  Scotchman,  of  fcrv 
words  and  much  earnestness,  with  a  mind  sin- 


At  the  close  of  this  service    Mr.    Crawford       gle  to  his  business  and  its  further  development 


I 


THK  ST«»I{V  OF  STRKATOI5. 


53 


DANIEL  HEENAN 

RETAIL  MERCHANT  PLUS. 


It  is  not  alone  to  tlie  producer  that  a  town 
owes  its  fi^reatness.  Tlie  clistril)ufor,  tlie  mer- 
chant wiio  jtasses  out  tlie  necessities  and  the 
luxuries  of  lite  to  the  people  with  efficiency, 
economy  and  iionesty,  is  not  less  serviceable  to 
the  connnunity  than  the  builder  of  a  factoiy. 
He  it  is  who  makes  up  the  solid  middle  class  of 
the  town;  who  j^ives  steadiness  and  pennan- 
eiK-e  to  its  social  institutions;  who  -iives  sup- 
port to  its  charities,  its 
churches  and  educa- 
tional movements;  who 
fDrnis  the  consen'ative 
l)asis  of  opinion  on  ]iub- 
lic  ()uestions  and  who 
looks  ahead  and  plans 
for  the  future  of  the 
city. 

As  the  chief  repre- 
sentative of  this  im- 
j)ortan(  class  in  the  u])- 
buildinj;  of  the  town 
the  name  of  Daniel 
llcenan  is  presented. 
'Plicic  will  be  no  (uie  to 
tjuestion  the  pre-emi- 
nence of  Mr.  Ileenan  as 
a  merchant  or  doubt 
the  correctness  of  his 
selection  as  the  rej)re- 
sentative  of  his  class. 
Mr.  Ifeenan  is  not  alone 
the  ui!<|uestioned  head 
of  tile  mercantile  guild 
in  Streator,  but  it  is 
doubtful  if  there  is  a 
merchant  in  the  State 
of  Illinois,  outside  of 
Chicago,  to  equal  him  in  the  grasp  and  daring 
of  his  imagination  or  the  breadth  and  bigness 
of  his  enterprise. 

Mr.  Ileenan  has  built  in  Streator  a  monu- 
ment to  his  mercantile  irenins  that  will  long 
survive  him;  one  that  will  be  pointed  to  as  one 
of  the  institutions  of  the  city  after  he  has 
passed  away.  It  is  one  of  the  show  places  of 
the  town,  a  sjilendid  structure  of  brick  and 
stone,  the  largest  and  most  comjilete  appoint- 
ed emiiorium  of  trade  to  be  found  in  the  State 
outside  the  metropolis.  Xot  only  does  it  sui*]5ass 
all  ti>wns  of  the  size  of  Streator,  but  it  eclipses 
all  similar    establishments  in  towns    of    three 


I).   Heenaii. 


times  its  size;  the  largeness  of  the  builder's  vis- 
ion and  the  daring  of  his  ambition  are  shown 
in  his  undertaking  to  build  such  a  structure  in 
such  a  town;  and  his  mercantile  genius  is  dem- 
onstrated by  his  .success  in  its  operation. 

The  department  store  is  the  product  of  a 
new  age,  like  the  incorjiorateil  company;  it 
lirings  with  it  its  iirobleins,  its  economie.s,  its 
efficiencies.  Mr.  Ileenan  is  one  of  the  jiioneers 
in  the  establishment  of  this  modern  institution 
in  the  jn-ovincial  town.  He  has  brought  Big 
Business  down  to  little  uses,  and  given  the 
small  consumer  the  economies  and  convenien- 
ces of  big  transactions.     As     Klbert     Hubbard 

says:  "The  American 
J)ei)artment  Store  has 
taken  uji  lost  motion 
and  given  the  people 
better  goods  at  a  lower 
price.  It  has  been  the 
inevitable,  because  it 
jk  does  the  greatest    good 

^_  '"'  the  greatest  number. 

IJlf^  It  has  worked  for  econ- 

omy and  length  of 
fdays.  It  means  mutu- 
ality, reciprocity,  bro- 
therhood. 

"  Hut  to  give  the  peo- 
ple tlie  things  they 
want  is  not  enough. 
You  must  show  them  , 
wliat  they  want.  The 
great  modei-n  store  is  a 
leader  in  taste.  It  is  an 
etiucator.  It  stands  for 
economy,  color,  pro- 
portion, lianiiony  and 
increased  happiness.  It 
insjiires  the  imagina- 
tion by  bringing  from 
the  far  corners  of  the 
earth  the  products  of 
the  loom,  workshop,  farm,  mine  and  studio.  It 
displays  the.se  goods  so  that  the  public  maj' 
come  and  examine  them,  weigh,  analyze,  sift, 
decide  and  make  them  their  own  if  they  wish. 

According  to  this  gospel  we  find  that  D. 
Heenan  has  been  an  unconscious  preacher  and 
teacher  of  ethics,  and  that  his  store  has  been 
a  jilace  where  his  jiatrons  received  jiractical  in- 
stnictions  in  the  laws  of  beauty,  economy  and 
honesty  in  trade  relations. 

Who  then  is  Daniel  Ileenan? 
The  outward  facts  can  be     briefly    stated. 
Born  in  the  town  of    Indiana,    Canada,  on  the 
IGth  day  of  December,  1839,    he  attended    the 


54 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


common  schools  during  boyhood,  and  finished 
his  school  education  in  the  Toronto  High  Seliool 
at  the  age  of  17.  He  started  his  business  career 
as  a  clerk  in  Cayuga,  Canada,  and  later  opened 
up  a  store  in  his  native  town.  Coming  to  Ot- 
tawa in  1866  he  formed  a  mercantile  partner- 
ship under  the  style  of  Burke  &  Heeuan,  which 
continued  until  April,  1872,  when  Mr.  Heenan 
moved  to  Streator  and  opened  up  business  as  D. 
Heenan  &  Co.,  with  John  Flannagan  and  M.  J. 
Finleu  as  associates.  The  business  prospered 
until  the  store  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  Mr. 
Heenan  erected  the  present  splendid  stmcture, 
which  covers  a  block  of  land  in  the  business 
centre  of  the  city. 

These  bare  facts  give  only  the  skeleton  of  a 
life  filled  with  pulsing  and  throbbing  interest. 
Mr.  Heenan  is  a  merchant  plus.  He  has  been 
the  recognized  head  of  his  party  in  the  city  for 
over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  most  of  the  time  a 
member  of  the  democratic  state  central  com- 
mittee. His  al)ility  was  recognized  by  the  only 
democratic  governor  in  recent  years,  John  P. 
Altgeld,  who  appointed  him  a  member  of  the 
state  prison  commission,  on  which  he  served  for 
four  years.  A  leader  in  all  movements  looking 
to  the  good  of  the  city,  he  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  its  leading  institutions.  With 
Colonel  Ralph  Pluml)  he  was  one  of  the  incor- 
porators of  tlie  Streator  National  Bank,  and  in 
1882  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Streator 
Hotel  Comj^any,  which  erected  the  Plumb 
House,  of  which  property  he  is  now  the  sole 
owner,  having  bought  up  all  other  stock 
Interests. 

Altliough  he  lias  passed  tiie  allotted  tliree 
score  and  ten,  Mr.  Heenan  is  still  one  of  the  ac- 
tive and  commanding  figures  in  the  business 
life  of  Streator,  and  his  influence  and  power 
are  to  be  reckoned  with  iu  all  matters  touching 
the  progress  and  prosperity  of  the  city.  And 
his  interest  is  still  keen  and  his  power  potent 
in  any  movement  affecting  Streator's  business 
welfare. 


JOHN  E.  WILLIAMS 

MEDIATOR,  ARBITRATOR,  PEACEMAKER 

(By  M.  Meehan.) 


There  are  men  who  are  not  captains  of  in- 
dustiy  nor  of  business,  nor  yet  leaders  in  state- 
craft or  politics,  who  leave  their  impress  on  the 
thought  "currents  of  their  community  and  are 
entitled  to  recognition  as  among  "The  Makers 
of  the  City."    Such  a  man  is  John  E.  Williams, 


the  editor  of  this  publication,  who  for  over  a 
rpiarter  of  a  century  has  been  the  manager  of 
public  amusements,  lecti;re  courses,  chautauqua 
and  the  like;  and  who  as  writer,  speaker,  di- 
rector and  composer  of  music,  arbitrator  and 
general  iDublic  spirited  citizen  has  stamped  his 
personality  on  the  city  in  a  manner  that  will 
not  be  easily  effaced. 

It  would  have  been  a  pleasant  task  to  the 
writer  to  have  attempted  a  characterization  of 
liis  colleague,  Mr.  Williams,  but  as  he  has  been 
forestalled  in  this  by  one  who  is  considered  the 
most  brilliant  writer  in  America,  he  will  give 
way  and  present  the  sketch  of  EJbert  Huljbard, 
pul)lished  in  tlie  Fra  of  December,  li'lO.  Says 
the  Fra: 

"Williams  is  a  business  man  by  accident,  a 
laborer  by  prenatal  tendency,  a  Fabian  by  na- 
ture and  a  Roycrofter  1)y  the  Grace  of  God.  He 
takes  an  earnest,  active  interest  in  all  economic 
and  social  betterments.  He  knows  history, 
literature,  philosophy  better  tlmn  any  college 
])rofessor  I  e\'er  saw.  He  is  a  workingman  who 
has  improved  hi^,  time.  He  is  the  friend  of  the 
working  men  and  women,  and  he  is  a  business 
man.  For  many  years  he  was  a  coal  miner,  a 
day  laborer,  and  he  knows  the  heart  of  the 
toiler — those  who  go  forth  to  their  labors  until 
the  evening — better  than  any  other  man  I  ever 
met,  and  I've  known  quite  some  few — for  my 
name  is  not  Simeon  Stylites. 

Has  Charity,  Too. 

Williams  has  knowledge  plus,  and  charity 
that  suffers  long  and  is  kind.  He  is  so  big  that 
he  fully  realizes  that  any  man  who  devotes  him- 
self to  aiding  the  proletariat  will  get  gi'oss  .in- 
gratitude and  stupid  misunderstanding  for  pay. 

And  yet  he  sides  always  and  forever  with 
this  man  that  he  knows  will  rend  him  if  he 
ever  gets  close  enough  to  clutch  his  throat. 
Blind,  blundering  humanity  that  fails  to  be  a 
friend  to  even  itself,  needs  a  friend — and  Wil- 
liams is  that  man! 

He  is  as  tender  as  Clara  Barton,  as  gifted 
as  John  Euskin,  as  practical  as  William  Mor- 
ris, as  hopefiil  as  Whitman  and  as  brave  as  Jim 
Bludsoe,  who  "held  her  nose  to  the  bank  until 
every  galoot  was  ashore,'  and  then  perished  iu 
the  wreck." 

Undoubtedly  the  great  work  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liams' career,  the  work  which  his  forty  years  of 
uneventful  life  in  Streator  prepared  him  for, 
was  the  mediation  of  the  claims  growing  out  of 
the  Cherry  disaster.  That  horror  left  530  wo- 
men and  children  unprovided  for,  with  no  re- 
sources but  doulitful  lawsuits.  Of  this  Secre- 
tary of  Labor,  in  a  state  report  says: 


THi:  STOHV  OF  STRF.ATOR. 


55 


"With  a  vision  rare  among  men.  through 
tlie  tears  and  griof  of  a  stricken  people,  he  saw 
the  line  of  a  new  duty,  the  open  doorway  of  a 
great  oppDrtunity,  and  sueeeeded  in  transmit- 
ting the  materials  of  a  great  tragedy  into  an  in- 
strumentality of  a  great  service  to  mankind. 
Tns])ired  hy  no  other  i)urpose  exeept  the  weal 
of  his  fellow  mortals,  tliis  man  for  months  dis- 
regarded the  demands  of  home  and  business  in 
the  ardor  of  a  si)lendid  eonseeration.  gave  the 
wealth  of  his  mental  and  spiritual  endowments 
to  a  cause  th;it  absorbed  all  the  energies  of  his 
active  sold." 

Ilis  labors  were  .successful,  ami  Mr.  Wil- 
liams had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  the  mon- 
ey that  would  otlier- 
wise  have  been  waited 
in  court  costs,  lawyers' 
fees,  ]>aiil  over  to  the 
women  and  children.  It 
cost  the  St.  Paul  Coal 
Company  nearly  half  a 
million  dollars. 

Tlie  big  man  on  the 
other  side  of  the  tnedia- 
tion  was  Albert  .1.  Kirl- 
ing,  presi;ient  of  the 
Chicago,  .Milwaukee  i\: 
St.  i'aul  H.  K..  which 
was  the  real  ownei-  of 
the  Cherry  mine.  In  a 
beautiful  letter  to  Mr. 
Williams,  reviewing  the 
.settlemeT.t  Mr.  lOarlint; 
says: 

"It  was  dillioult  at 
the  (Uitset  to  under 
stand  such  un-ellish  de- 
votion to  humanity. 
There  are  nuuiy  mo- 
tives that  lead  men  to 
champion   one     side  or 

the  other  in  any  controversy.  There  are  many 
ardent  advocates  of  one  side  or  the  other,  but 
no  other  instance  has  come  under  my  observa- 
tion of  a  man  with  the  ca|)acity  to  helji,  coming 
voluntarily  to  the  aid  of  contendiuii-  parties 
with  an  ecjual  eye  for  fair  dealing  for  both  and 
justice  for  all.  I  think  I  am  justified  in  saying 
that  without  your  skillful  and  intelligent  me- 
diation the  settlement  at  Cherry  would  have 
been  as  far  olT  now  as  at  any  stage  of  the  ne- 
gotiation. If  out  of  the  wreckage  of  property 
and  tombs  of  men  at  Cherry  shall  come  forth  a 
permanent  bettering  of  the  relations  of  em- 
ployer and  employed  in  the  hours  of  the  com- 


mon disaster,  it  may  be  counted  as  some  small 
salvage  from  so  awful  a  calamity,  it  shall 
stand  as  a  monument  to  your  unfaltering  effort 
to  establish  among  men  a  lasting  principle  of 
e(|uity  and  justice." 

Theodore  Roosevelt  in  an  editorial  in  the 
Outlook  commended  the  work  of  Mr.  Williams 
\erv  higldy,  and  it  has  been  widely  commented 
upon  in  jjapers  and  magazines. 

For  the  past  two  years  Mr.  W^illiams  has 
been  the  official  arbitrator  of  the  United  Mine 
AVorkers  and  the  Illinois  Coal  Operators'  As- 
sociations. At  the  last  arliitration  session  the 
commission  pas.sed  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks 

to  Mr.  Williams  "for 
the  fair  and  impartial 
manner  in  which  he 
presided  over  our  meet- 
ings; for  the  unfailing 
(act,  good  feeling  and 
jii-actical  wisdom  wliich 
have  characterized  his 
conduct  of  the  proceed- 
ings, and  wliich  have 
been  of  invaluable  as- 
sistance in  bringing  our 
deliberations  to  a  har- 
monious and  successful 
conclusion." 

The  outer  facts  of 
Mj-.  Williams"  life  are 
brieflv  told.  Born  near 
Merthyr  Tydvil,  Wales, 
in  IS.").'},  he  came  to 
.\nierica  in  18(j4.  Soon 
after  he  entered  the 
coal  mines  and  contin- 
ued as  a  miner  for 
al)out  tifteen  years,  the 
•greater  i)art  of  the  time 
in  Streator,  after  which 
J.  K.  wuiiaiiis.  I't"  became  a  newspaper 

man.  then  a  fire  insur- 
ance agent  and  theatre  manager.  lie  has  never 
held  political  office,  but  has  been  recognized  in 
many  positions  of  worth.  He  was  secretary.of 
the  first  labor  union  in  Streator,  and  later,  the 
first  check  weighman  at  its  mines.  He  organ- 
ized the  Business  Men's  Auxiliary  League  in 
1897,  which  helped  the  miners  cany  on  that 
memorable  strike. 

Mr.  Williams  was  arbitrator  for  the  Coal  Run 
strike;  has  been  official  arbitrator  for  the  Illi- 
nois coal  operators,  is  vice-chainnan  of  the  Cher- 
ry Relief  Commission;  president  of  the  trustees 
of  the  Church  of  Good  Will  and  ehainnan  of 
the  Sunday  Evening  Lecture  Course. 


66 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR 


ITS  CHARACTERISTICS;  ITS  HISTORY;     ITS 

INSTITUTIONS. 


GOVERNMENT;    ITS 


Streator  is  not  yet  a  beautiful  city.  It  is  a 
town  in  the  making;  not  yet  a  finished  product. 
Tts  wealth  and  energies  are  devoted  to  deepen- 
ing and  broadening  the  foundations  of  its  in- 
dustrial life,  rather  than  to  smoothing  out  the 
wrinkles  of  toil  from  its  face  or  adorning  itself 
with  the  fruits  of  its  labor.  It  is  still  in  its  iron 
age;  its  golden  age  is  yet  to  come.  The  nide 
framework  tliat  supports  the  social  fabric 
stands  out  bare  and  grim,  as  yet  uncovered  by 
the  accretions  whicli  in  older  cities  soften  and 
mellow,  if  they  do  not  conceal,  the  rougli  beams 
which  knit  the  structure  together;  and  the  play 
of  those  elemental  energies  which  propel  the  in- 
dustrial mechanism,  and  thereby  vivify  and  vi- 
talize the  social  life,  are  still  plainly  visible. 

"The  gilded  youtli  of  the  second  generation, 
who  wastes  in  idle  elegance  the  earnings  of  his 
father's  toil,  has  hardly  made  liis  a])pearance 
here  as  yet.  The  men  wlio  made  the  man  he 
employs.  There  is  no  leisure  class,  and  Irat  few 
retired  men  of  business.  Such  affinity  has  not 
crystalized  into  social  caste.  Society  is  demo- 
cratic; it  permits  the  free  flow  of  social  feeling 
along  the  channels  of  natural  sympathy  regard- 


less of  class  distinctions.  Work  is  the  great 
unifier;  wlien  master  and  man  touch  elbows  in 
a  common  task  there  is  born  a  spirit  of  fellow- 
ship which  no  disparity  in  wealth  or  station 
can  neutralize.  The  absentee  employer,  like 
the  absentee  landlord,  is  tlie  true  creator  of 
class  divisions,  the  begetter  of  class  pride,  the 
fomenter  of  class  hatred.  In  Streator  he  is 
practically  unknown. ' ' 

The  foregoing  words,  written  by  the  editor 
of  this  volume  in  1898,  may  still  stand  as  an 
ajipropriate  introduction  to  an  article  on  Strea- 
tor. For  Streator  is  still  a  town  of  workers 
and  working-men.  It  is  still  in  the  making;  and 
although  its  sense  of  beauty  is  growing,  and 
evidences  of  it  may  be  seen  in  its  parks,  streets, 
tine  homes  and  well  kept  lawns,  it  may  be  ad- 
mitted that  it  does  not  comj^are  in  this  respect 
with  the  towns  of  the  old  and  finished  East.  It 
is  unfinished,  therefore  not  dead.  It  has  not  a 
long  i)ast,  but  has  an  immense  future:  and  that 
future  belongs  to  men  of  action,  men  of  energy, 
the  men  who  have  made  and  will  continue  to 
make  the  industries  and  the  institutions  of 
Streator. 


THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN 


It  cannot  pretend  to  a  history  of  hoaiy  an- 
tiquity. The  oldest  date  the  writer  has  been 
able  to  find  in  the  chronicles  of  the  past  is  1831, 
at  which  time  one  Geoi-ge  Basore,  a  native  of 
Virginia,  settled  on  a  fann  about  (uie  mile 
north-east  of  where  Streator  now  stands.  It  is 
recorded  that  the  family  supplied  their  simple 
wants  from  materials  of  their  own  raising.  They 
made  clothing  of  flax  and  wool,  leather  for  foot- 
wear and  harness  from  hides  tanned  l)y  them- 
selves, sugar  and  molasses  from  the  maples  on 
their  farm,  meat  from  their  own  stock ;  they  ate 
the  corn  and  grain  from  their  own  fields,  and  in 
their  own    blacksmith    shop  made    their    own 


tools  with  whicli  to  repair  their  own  farm  im- 
plements. 

Pioneer  Names  Still  Survive. 

From  1833  to  1837  there  was  an  influx  of  set- 
tlers, many  of  them  from  Fayette  County,  Penn- 
sylvania. Ai_ong  them  were  some  whose  names 
still  sui-vive  in  the  directory  of  modern  Strea- 
tor. There  are  the  Raineys,  the  ]\Iackeys,  the 
Downells,  the  Eeddicks,  the  Bronsons,  the  Ful- 
wilers,  the  Dinsmores,  the  Painters.  ( )ne  of  the 
descendents  of  the  latter,  Mr.  Lloyd  Painter,  is 
the  present  city  attorney  of  Streator. 

These  were  all  farmers,  and  it  was  not  until 


THE  STORY  OF  STRKATOR. 


57 


the  early  sixties  that  there  were  signs  of  a  nu- 
cleus tiiat  would  foreshadow  the  future  city. 

About  tiii'^  time  a  number  of  miners  began 
burrowing  in  tiie  banks  of  the  Veniiillion  River 
and  diifting  into  the  ricli  seam  of  coal  tliat 
croijjit'd  out  along  tlie  stream.  To  satisfy  their 
wants  a  small  grocery  was  started  in  1861  by 
.John  D'Xeil  on  the  river  bank.  The  next  build- 
ing was  erected  by  James  Iluggaiis,  the  front 
])art  of  which  was  used  as  a  store.  Tlien  came 
Hoiiert  Duinan's  store,  and  in  18()4  came 
Springer  ^:  Tainter.  Shortly  after  was  built 
what  became  the  Streator  House,  and  Overholt 
&   Iloinies  built  what     was     hrnix     the  leading 


tion  soon  began  to  l)e  counted  by  the  thousands. 
On  the  tentii  of  February,  1868,  the  new  town 
was  platted,  the  signers  of  the  i)lat  being  Ralph 
I'liunl)  secretary,  and  James  Iluggans,  Albert 
Mc('ormi<-k  and  Win.  Rainey.  Streator  was  in- 
coi-porated  as  a  village  not  long  before  ISTO,  and 
in  that  year  were  elected  as  its  officers  the  fol- 
lowing: 

Frank  Holmes,  jiresident;  and  J.  O'Neil,  Kd. 
Woolzen,  Robt.  Duncan  and  (r.  W.  t'umniings, 
couiicihiien,  tile  latter  also  sei'\ing  as  clerk. 

First  City  Officers. 
The  village  organization  was  (>ontinued  un- 


Louis  .Nater,  City  Treasurer. 


Fred  H.     Renz,  City  Engineer. 


store,  on  the  site  of  the  i)resent  I'lumb  |[ouse. 
The  village  was  scattered  along  the  blulT  of  the 
river  and  was  called  "Hard  Scrabble"  from  tlie 
difficulty  of  clind)ing  the  hill  from  the  river 
ford.  .\  little  later  the  village  was  called 
Unionville;  but  in  1866  came  Col.  Ralph  Plumb 
and  with  him  came  the  Vennillion  Coal  Com- 
pany with  its  president.  Hr.  W.  L.  Streator, 
from  whom  the  town  got  the  name  it  now  bears. 

The  Coming:  of  Col.  Plumb. 

With  the  coming  of  Col.  Plumb  a  new  era 
was  begun.  The  coal  industry  was  rapidly  de- 
veloped, railroads  were  built,  and  the  popula- 


til  July  ;>,  1882,  when  Streator  became  a  city 
under  the  general  laws  of  the  state.  Its  popu- 
lation was  about  6,0t)().  The  first  officers  of  the 
I'ity  under  the  general  laws  of  the  state 
were:  Colonel  Ralph  Plumb,  president,  John 
E.  "Williams,  clerk;  John  T.  Kuhns,  treasurer; 
J.  T.  Murdock.  attorney;  Joseph  Mosher,  su- 
perintendent of  sti-eets;  Henry  Smith,  marshal; 
B.  A.  llattenhauer,  park  connnissioner.  The  al- 
dermen were:  Jo.seph  O'Xeil,  Hugh  Hall,  J.  C. 
Camjjbell,  L.  C.  Mills,  George  Bronson,  B.  A. 
Hattenhauer,  W.  W.  Haskell,  J.  M.  Hess,  John 
Arthur,  Thomas  Hudson. 


58 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


THIRTY  YEARS  OF  MUNICIPAL  PROGRESS 


Although  not  originally  a  propossessing 
town,  Streator  since  its  organization  as  a  city 
has  made  rapid  strides  and  will  now  compare 
favorably  with  its  sister  cities  of  the  west. 
Streets  have  been  lifted  from  the  mnd  and  pav- 
ed with  vitrified  brick;  miles  of  straight  stone 
curb  with  curved  intersections  give  long  sym- 
metrical lines  which  are  jjleasing  to  the  eye; 
and  these  are  flanked  by  broad,  grast-y  berms 
planted  with  well-grown  shade  trees.  Joining 
these  are  the  well-kept  lawns  of  many  fine  resi- 
dences, broadly  set  Ijaek  from  the  street,  giv- 
ing an  air  of  spaciousness  absent  from  many 
older  towns.  The  open  park  of  eleven  acres  in 
the  centre  of  the  town  and  the  two  smaller  out- 
side parks  add  to  the  air  of  breadth  and  large- 
ness in  the  out-door  aspect  of  the  city. 

Fine  Public  Buildings. 

During  its  thirty  years  as  a  city,  many  fine 
public  buildings  have  been  erected  which  dig- 
nify and  ennoble  the  civic  landscajie.  Notably 
is  tliis  true  of  the  school  buildings  and  ])nblic 
library,  which  ai'e  really  splendid  specimens  of 
architecture,  and  present  an  attractive  and  dis- 
tinguished appearance.  Tlie  churches,  too,  lend 
distinction  to  the  town,  some  of  them  being 
quite  iin]30sing  in  appearance;  and  the  Masonic 
Temiile,  Post  Office,  Streator  ( "lub.  and  especial- 
ly the  new  Elks'  Club  add  to  the  attractiveness 


of  the  city.  To  the  stranger  entering  Streator 
today  it  would  present  the  api^earance  of  a  well 
built,  solid,  substantial  industrial  town,  now 
passing  into  its  second  stage,  and  taking  on  the 


Harry  Young,  City  Electrical   Inspector. 

graces  and  refinements  of  an  awakened  civic 
and  aesthetic  consciousness.  Already  the  lines 
are  emerging  which  in  the  years  to  come  are  to 
transform  it  into    the  city  Beautiful. 


CLEAN  MUNICIPAL  GOVERNMENT 


The  government  of  the  city  since  its  or- 
ganization has  been  conducted  along  broad 
democratic  lines.  Although  its  governors  have 
been  chosen  nominally  on  a  i^artisan  basis,  in 
the  main  the  popularity  of  the  men  rather  than 
of  the  party  has  determined  the  elections. 
Republicans  and  democrats  have  succeeded 
each  other  in  office  with  little  regard  to  poli- 
tics, and  in  the  main  a  good  representative 
class  of  men  have  been  elected  to  the  mayoral- 
ty and  council.  A  great  deal  of  public  work 
has  been  done  in  these  years,  especially  in 
street  paving,  sewers  and  bridge  building,  and 
it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  there  has  been  no 
taint  of  suspicion  or  graft  except  in  one  in- 
stance.   In  that  case  it  was  suspected  that  brib- 


ery was  used  in  the  erection  of  a  bridge,  and 
public  conscience  was  so  strong  that  it  prose- 
cuted and  convicted  the  bribers  and  caused  the 
removal  of  the  bridge  after  it  had  been  built 
across  the  river — a  fact  that  speaks  volumes 
for  the  sound  civic  spirit  of  the  citizens. 

The  city  had  been  especially  progressive 
along  the  line  of  permanent  improvements,  no- 
tably in  the  matter  of  the  paving  of  streets.  It 
has  constructed  nearly  thirty  miles  of  brick 
paving  at  an  approximate  cost  of  $780,000.00, 
which  is  probably  more  than  any  city  of  its 
size  in  the  world. 

The  broad  are:'  of  the  town  may  be  inferred 
by  the  fact  that  it  has  required  the  construction 
of  37  miles  of  walk  to  accommodate  the  homes, 


THE  STOHV  OF  STRKATOK. 


59 


of  which  12  miles  are  concreted  and  75  are  of 
hi'ick.  Anproxiina'cly  IG  miles  of  sewers  iun  e 
been  built  .ind  the  town  is  well  drained,  and  it 
is  worthy  of  note  that  these  sewers  have  all 
been  built  and  paid  for  out  of  the  jreneral  fund, 
and  no  s])ecial  assessment  has  yet  been  levied 
for  tliis  coristnii'tinri. 

Present  City  Administration. 
The  fomiiiissidn  form    of    government,    al- 
thouirli  favdialily  diseussed,  has  not  yet  taken 
liiijd  liere.     The    eity  is    still    governed    l)y  a 


The  council  consists  of  Messrs.  W.  Atkin- 
son, W.  Cool,  J.  Deiderirh,  J.  Gotcii,  ('.  H. 
Haldeman,  J.  M.  Hunter,  II.  Johnson,  J.  H. 
Jackson,  L.  F.  Morgan,  F.  Marx,  T.  McNamara, 
I),  r.  Swain,  D.  Stobs,  A.  White. 

(Since  the  foregoing  was  written  Messrs.  E. 
D.  Roberts  and  G.  C.  Daniels  have  replaced 
Messrs.  W.  Cool  and  J.  Deiderich  as  aldermen. 

The  police  force  numbers  fourteen,  and  the 
fire  department  ten  men,  and  these  are  under 
civil  service  couniiission,  consisting  of  Messrs. 


City  HaU. 


mayor  and  fourteen  aldemien,  representing  the 
seven  wards  of  the  city. 

The  present  mayor  is  W.  "W.  Bean,  publisher 
of  the  Streator  Monitor.  Mr.  Bean  is  now  serv- 
ing his  third  tenn  as  mayor,  which  sjjeaks  well 
for  his  popularity  with  the  voters.  The  other 
officers  are:  Charles  L.  McNamara,  clerk; 
Lloyd  Painter,  attorney;  Louis  Nater,  treas- 
urer; F.  II.  Henz,  city  engineer;  Frank  Owens, 
chief  of  the  fire  department;  John  Hopkins, 
chief  of  police;  James  Price,  superintendent  of 
sti-eets. 


Richard    F.    Purcell,    E.  M.  Davis    and    I.  C. 
Ames. 

The  three  parks  of  the  city  are  under  the 
direction  of  a  commission  consisting  of  Edw. 
Reinel,  Matt  Bilger,  W.  L.  Griffith,  Mrs.  Ozilla 
Richardson  and  Mrs.  Louise  Black.  A  regular 
appro])riation  is  made  yearly  for  this  board 
and  the  city  park  of  11  acres  is  being  improved 
and  beautified  under  the  plan  and  the  direc- 
tions of  a  iirofessional  landscape  gardener. 

An  Efficient  Fire  Department. 
The  city  supports  an  efficient    fire    depart- 


60 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOK. 


MAYOR  AXD  ALDEUMEX,  reading  right  to  left — C.  H.  Haldeman,  J.  M.  Hunter,  D.  D.  Stobs,  Henry 
Johnson,  W.  H.  Atkinson,  Mayor  W.  W.  Bean,  T.  F.McNamara,  John  Gotch,  L.  F.  Morgan  J.  H.  Jackson, 
John  Dlederich,  Frank  Marx,  D.  C.  Swain,  Wm.  Cool.  Alfred  White  is  not  in  the  group. 


THi:  STOKV  OF  STKKATOi; 


61 


ment  consisting  of  ten  full  paid  men,  including? 
chief  and  assistant  chief,  two  captains  and  six 
firemen.  It  is  -;iipplied  witli  an  am))le  e<|nii)ment 
of  hose  and  ladiler  wa.ii:nns,  fire  hose,  chemical 
tanks,  etc.  Available  for  fire  use  are  2'J8  iiy- 
drants,  always  in  good  condition  and  ready  for 
use.  The  chief  states  that  there  is  ami)le  water 
sujii)ly  and  tlie  jtressure  is  ^oiid,  no  niatt<'r  how 
many  streams  are  used.  There  are  41  miles  of 
water  mains  in  the  city,  ranging  from  4  to  Ki 


del)t.  On  the  new  river  bridge  just  built  there 
are  unpaid  bonds  of  $34,000.  On  the  district 
and  high  scliools  tliere  are  outstanding  bonds 
of  $05,000,  of  which  Streator  must  i>ay  its 
siiare  as  ])art  of  the  school  district. 

The  total  assessment  in  the  town  of  Bruce, 
in  which  Streator  is  situated,  for  the  cun'ent 
vear  is  $l.")l.',(;01.0S,  of  which  only  $40,4G8  is  for 
the  city.  The  district  schools  receive  $57,080 
and  the  high  school  $L'3,388;  the  l)alance  goes  to 


Fire  Station  No.  2. 


inches  in  diaiuctcr.  At  tlie  walcrworUs  are  two 
pumi)s,  one  of  5,000,000  gallons  and  one  of 
."'.OOO.OOO  gallons  capacity,  so  the  water  sujijily 
is  always  ample  whatever  may  l)e  the  demand 
for  (ires.  Tlie  department  is  supplieil  with  a 
Gamewell  and  tJaynor  fire  alarm  system,  with 
connections  covering  the  city  on  the  streets  and 
at  central  i)oints. 

Light  Taxes— Small  Bonded  Debt. 

Taxation  is  liiilit  and  tliere  i-;  little    bonded 


town,  county  and  state.  The  ollicial  rate  of  tax- 
ation is  $(i.80  i)er  $100  on  i)ersonal  projjcrty. 
and  $5.45  per  $100  on  real  estate,  ))ased  on  a 
valuation  of  one-third  the  cash  value  of  the 
]iroperty  asse><sed. 

The  clearest  statement  of  tlie  rat"  of  taxa- 
tion is  to  say  that  i)roperty  in  Streator  pays 
a  yearly  tax  of  about  one  and  one-third  ])cr 
cent  of  its  real  value;  that  is,  for  each  $1,000 
of  i>roperty  the  owner  pays  approximately 
$13..33  in  taxes. 


62 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


FIRE  DEPARTMENT,   reading  from   lelt   to  right — John  Stringer,  Asst.  Chief  Frank  Butterly,  Wm.   Hawks- 
ley,  Chas.  Marx,   Chief  Prank  Owen,    Clyde    Conner,  Jo  hn  Long,  Samuel  Conner,  Andrew  Palascak,  Geo.  Pinkney 


THK  STOItV   OF  STHKATOR. 


63 


EDUCATION  AND  RELIGION 

SCHOOLS,    CHURCHES,    CHAUTAUQUA;    STREATOR'S     SUPERIOR 

CULTURAL  FACILITIES. 


Xotliiiii!:  so  bespeaks  the  diarafter  of  a 
eonmiuiiity  as  its  scliools.  No  stian^ier  could 
eoine  to  Streator  and  fail  to  be  struck  by  tlie 
distiiiicuisbed  a|>|iearaiice  of  its  school  build- 
ings. They  arc  sjilcndid  structures  of  brick 
and  stone,  nearly  all  of  modern  construction, 
and  e{|uii)|ied  with  the  latest  improvements  for 
heatinir,  ventilation,  health  and  comfort.  They 
present  the  most  imposiuij  architectural  ap 
pearanrc  of  any  of  the  stnn-tures  in  the  city, 
and  l)ear  witness  to  the  liberality  and  i)rogres- 
sivoness  of  tlie  peojile  in  <lealin,u;  with  educa- 
tion. 


persistence  with  which  they  have  grappled 
witli  the  real  problem  of  pedai^ogy,  and  no  ef- 
fort has  been  too  great  to  obtain  for  Streator 
the  l)est  its  means  would  afford,  even  when 
taxed  to  the  limit  of  the  law.  Iler  standards 
have  been  higli,  and  her  demands  on  teachers 
rigorous.  As  a  result  some  of  the  best  teachers 
in  the  country  have  been  attracted  to  Sti'eator, 
and  the  course  of  study  here  is  the  ])roduct  of 
some  of  the  best  brains  in  the  profession.  The 
noted  jjcdagogical  authority,  J.  N.  Patrick,  the 
scarcely  less  noted  J.  A.  Long,  and  more  lately 
the  accomplished  school  executive,  M.  (!.  ("lark 


The  Greeley  School. 


Probably  no  city  its  size  and  age  can  show 
a  bctlci'  material  e<|uii)inent  for  school  work. 
During  the  ))ast  sixteen  years  Streator  has  built 
six  new  grade  bui Mings  at  a  cost  as  follows: 
r.arfield.  $;».n()l>;  Plumb,  $.30,000,  Greeley, 
$:{.'),000;  Grant  $4r).000;  .Tefl'erson.  $8,000;  :\[c- 
Kinley  $8,000,  aggregating  $164,000. 

Some  Noted  Schoolmasters. 

P>ut  Strt'ator  ha-  not  been  satisti*'d  to  rest 
content  with  her  externals  of  education.  Her 
school  boards  have  been    remarkable    for    the 


liave  all  been  superintendents  here.  The  pres- 
ent incumbent  is  Prof.  J.  G.  Moore,  who  is  re- 
taining all  the  old  values  and  applying  them  to 
new  conditions. 

High  Qualification  of  Teachers. 

The  course  of  study  jjursued  combines  all 
the  wisdom  of  these  school  experts.  The  course 
is  worked  out  by  subjects  by  a  committee  of 
teachers  in  co-operation  with  the  superintend- 
ent, and  the  work  i)rinted  in  a  manual.  It  is  a 
most  thorough  going  system,  and  not  commonly 


64 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


used  except  in  cities  of  large  size. 

There  are  sixty-five  teacliers  employed,  and 
the  requirements  are  high.  No  teacher  can  be 
engaged  "who  has  not  two  years  training,  in  ad- 


training  school  for  teachers.  As  a  result  of  ail 
these  activities  the  schools  of  Streator  are  re- 
cognized in  the  school  world  as  among  the  most 
advanced,  and  ambitious  teachers    are  anxious 


The  Garfield  School. 


dition  to  the  high  school  course.  In  addition  to 
the  regular  force,  supervisors  are  also  em]iloyed 
in  manual  training,  in  music,  art  and  the  do- 
mestic   arts.    There  is  also    maintained    a  citv 


to  come  here  for  the  value  of  the  experience  in 
its  schools.  The  total  enrollment  of  pupils  for 
I  he  current  year  is  2,300. 


STREATOR'S  SPLENDID  HIGH  SCHOOL 


The  High  School  has  a  record  that  is  even 
more  distinguished.  First,  it  has  the  memory 
of  the  revered  iiliilanthropist,  Col.  Rali)h  Plumb 
who  gave  the  building  to  the  city.  Then  it  has 
a  proud  line  of  educators  to  look  back  on  whose 
names  are  an  honorable  tradition.  First  is  the 
name  of  Prof.  Rinaldo  Williams,  which  shines 
with  a  gentle  and  benignant  lustre,  o\er  the  dis- 
tance of  years  and  throws  a  melloAv  radiance 
over  the  early  days  of  the  school.  Pie  was  for 
five  years  principal  of  Farm  Ridge  Seminary 
and  ten  years  county  sui^erintendent  of  schools 
before  coming  to  Streator  to  take  charge  of  one 
of  the  first  township  high  schools  in  tiie  state. 
To  his  gentle  and  wise  guidance  the  school  owes 
its  early  direction  and  its  fine  distinction.  Fol- 
lowing him  came  an  educator  of  even  wider 
rejjutation,  Prof.  Alfred  Bayliss,  who  remained 
principal  until  elected  State  Superintendent  of 
Schools  for  Illinois.  He  was  succeeded  by  an- 
other noted  teacher,  Prof.  S.  B.  Hursh,  now  oc- 


cupying   a     chair     in     the     State     Normal  at 
Macomb. 

A      Fine  School  Equipment. 

The  school  has  been  growing  with  the  years 
and  in  1902  an  annex  was  added  which  doubled 
its  capacity.  It  is  now  amply  supplied  with 
the  best  modem  equipment  for  educational 
work.  It  has  a  good  nuuiual  training  depart- 
ment fully  equipped  with  lathes,  planes,  work 
benches  and  tools  for  working  in  wood  and  soft 
metal.  In  its  domestic  science  department  it 
teaches  cooking,  sewing,  dressmaking,  milli- 
nery, etc.  The  commercial  department  teaches 
short  hand,  typewriting,  bookkeeping,  business, 
law  and  all  requirements  of  a  thorough  busi- 
ness education.  And  there  has  recently  been 
added  a  teachers'  course,  designed  to  give  such 
as  desire  it  two  years  i)reparation  for  tlie  work 
of  teaching. 

Vocational  Work. 

While    the  usual  branches    ^ireparatory    to 


1HF-;  STf)in    OK  STRKATOR. 


65 


(■(.llo^n'  work  are  tauylit,  increasinu,-  oinpliasis  is 
hi'iiii;  laid  on  vocational  work.  Tlio  aim  is  to 
iielp  tlic  inii)il  lill  his  niclie  in  the  industrial  and 
social  life  of  the  community,  and  to  fit  him  for 
the  work  he  will  be  called  on  to  do  wlien  1ie 
leaves  school.  Accordingly  his  studies  arc  tinn- 
ed in  the  direction  of  liis  future  vocation,  and 
consultations    are  held  lietween    teachers    and 


enrolled  291  pupils  who  are  taufrht  by  a  force  nf 
fourteen  tc;'cheis.  all  under  the  direction  of 
Prof.  0.  A.  K'awlins,  principal. 
Private  Schools. 
In  addition  to  the  jmlilic  scjiools  there  are 
i!  number  of  i)rivate  and  i)arochial  schools.  The 
latter  are  three  in  mimber  and  are  provided 
with  jyood  buildinfjs  and    c(|uiiiment,    and  give 


High  School. 


parents  to  decide  the  line  of  study.  At  present 
there  is  a  class  in  the  handlinii;  of  concrete  work 
and  other  crafts  will  be  tau^Hit  as  needed. 

Kecenlly  the  Streator  lliffli  School  was  made 
one  of  four  schools  pi-rmittcd  to  ijive  one  year 
of  college  work  after  ^rraduation  and  have  the 
jnipil  receive  credit  for  it  in  the  examinations 
of  the  Universitv  of  Illinois.      There    are    now 


training  in  religion  and  instruction  in  the  coin- 
iiion  branches.  The  American,  German  and 
Slavish  schools  have  an  enrollment  of  about 
800  pupils.  The  Kvangelical  Lutheran  church 
also  conducts  a  school;  lirown's  Business  Col- 
lege has  8l'  students.  It  furnishes  opportunity 
for  students  to  get  an  education  in  the  evening, 
and  is  a  growing  and  useful  institution. 


RELIGIOUS  AND  CULTURE  OPPOF^TUNITIES 


The  religimis  life  in  Streator  is  remarkable 
for  its  breadth  and  variety,  as  migh>  be  e.vpect- 
ed  from  so  varied  a  population.  Here  are  rep- 
resentatives of  the  oldest  and  the  newest  relig- 
ious bodies.  From  Homan  Catholic  to  ("uis- 
tian  Science,  each  creed  tinds  here  equal  hospi- 
tality and  welcome.  The  English  speaking 
Protestant  people  are  represented  by  the  usual 
Evangelical  and  Episcopal  bodies,  while  the 
foreign  born  are  ministered  to  by  the  Catholic, 
Russian  (ireek  and  Slavish,  Swedisli  and  Ger- 
man Evangelical    churches.    The  stronger  con- 


gregations have  built  for  themselves  splendid 
church  homes,  and  have  an  able,  loyal  and  crTT- 
cient  ministry.  Among  the  more  imposing 
structures  are  the  Methodist  and  Catholic 
churches,  while  tiie  most  uniciue  is  the  Russian 
(ireek  church,  which  was  brought  from  Russia 
as  part  of  its  exhibit  at  the  Chicago  "World's 
Fair  and  afterwards  transplanted  to  Streator. 
The  Salvation  Army  has  been  the  last  to  add  to 
the  number  of  church  buildings,  having  just 
completed  a  very  creditable  brick  edifice.  Alto- 
gether there  are  about  twenty  church  edifices  in 


6G 


THF  STORY  OF  STRKATOR. 


the  city. 

Eev.  W.  C.  Miles  writes  as  follows  about  the 
religious  attitude  of  the  people:  "A  religious 
census  was  taken  recently  and  reveals  some  in- 
teresting facts.  It  appears  that  practically  all 
of  the  foreign  element  from  whom  information 
was  obtainable  are  identitied  with  some  church, 
usually  Catholic,  Lutheran,  Gennan  Evangeli- 
cal or  Eussian  Greek.  The  loyalty  of  these 
people  to  their  faith  is  commendable.  *  * 
Of  the  whole  population,  American  and  foreign 
not  identitied  with  any  church,  nearly  all  ex- 
press preference  for  some  denomination  of  the 
Protestant  faith.  Com])aratively  few  refuse  to 
give  information,  and  there  were  no  confessed 
infidels. ' ' 


Kupsian  Greek  Church. 

Streator  Chautauqua  Assembly. 

For  a  city  so  thoroughly  industrial  in  its 
character  as  Streator  its  cultured  interests  are 
maintained  in  a  really  remarkal)le  manner.  It 
supports  a  Summer  Chautauqua  assembly 
which  draws  attendance  from  many  miles 
around.  Its  programs  are  of  the  very  highest 
class,  and  the  most  eminent  men  in  the  nation 
appear  on  its  platform  from  year  to  year.  Here 
too,  are  heard  great  artists,  splendid  musical 
organizations,  and  siiperb  presentations  of 
classical  plays.  The  Chautauciua  association 
owns  a  beautiful  park  of  eighteen  acres,  right 
on  the  edge  of  the  city,  where  it  has  erected  a 


magnificent  steel  auditorivun  capable  of  seating 
from  four  to  five  thousand  people,  with  an  amj^le 
stage,  raised  seats  and  covered  standing  room 
for  a  couple  of  thousand  more  people.  On  the 
grounds  scores  of  white  tents  are  erected  each 
year  and  families  from  city  and  country  enjoy 
the  pleasure  of  out-door  life  amid  pleasant  so- 
cial and  cultural  surroundings.  The  Chautau- 
qua, too,  brings  the  summer  vacation  to  the 
thousands  of  industrial  workers  who  cannot  af- 
ford a  trip  to  the  lakes  or  mountains,  and  alto- 
gether it  is  a  great  boon  to  the  city.  The  work 
of  managing  and  operating  it  is  perfoi'med  by  a 
group  of  public-spirited  business  men,  who  give 
their  time  and  energy  without  stint  and  with- 
out cost,  being  animated  by  a  desire  only  of 
serving  the  community. 


Park   Presbyterian   Church. 

The  Sunday  Evening  Course. 

The  same  social  spirit  is  exemplified  in  the 
Streator  Sunday  Evening  Course,  an  institution 
designed  to  minister  to  the  educational  and 
ethical  needs  of  the  citj'  during  the  winter 
months.  This  feature  is  altogether  unique,  and 
suj)plies  a  free  j^latform  on  which  is  heard  the 
very  finest  talent  in  the  lecture  field  on  Sunday 
evenings.  Eminent  scientists  and  educators 
from  near  by  universities  are  frequently  heard, 
great  readers  like  Bertha  Kiuiz  Baker,  S.  H. 
Clark,  and  Frederick  Wards,  distinguished 
singers  and  musical  artists,  illustrated  lectures 
and  noted  public  teachers  like  Edward  Howard 
Griggs,  William  Norman  Guthrie,  Earl  Barnes, 


THi:   STOR'^-  OF  STRKATOR. 


67 


Charles  Zueblin  and  othors.  This  ooui-se  is  of- 
fored  I'roe  to  the  ])t'ople  of  tlie  city,  the  cost 
being  defrayed  by  the  liberal  citizens,  some  of 
whom    cnntrihTito  jartre  sums    for  its    support. 


not  less  than  loO.OOO.  It  has  a  well  assorted 
collection  of  16,000  volumes,  embracing  not 
only  works  of  current  literature,  but  also 
standard  works  on  art,  science,    poetry,    phil- 


Public  Library. 


The  course  is  largely  iiatrnnized,  and  well  illus- 
trates the  liberal  and  enterprising  sjiirit  (if  tlie 
people  of  Streatnr. 

Streator  Public  Library. 
The  Streatnr  I'ultlie  l.ilirarv  is    an    institu- 


o.sopliy  and  the  like,  for  wliieli  there  is  a  good 
demand.  'J'he  city  approjiriates  $3,500  per  year 
for  its  sujiport.  An  ever  increasing  demand  on 
the  library  is  from  the  pu|iils  of  the  public 
schools,  and  every  helit  and  assistance  is  given 
by  the  purchase  of  reference  and  other  needed 


tion  of  which  the  town  is  justly  proud.  The 
building  is  one  of  the  benefactions  of  Andrew 
Cai-nogie.    With  the  lot  and  accessories  it  cost 


books.  It  is  also  much  used  by  young  men  pre- 
paring for  mechanical  occupations.  There  is  a 
good  reading  room  containing  a  plentiful  sup- 


68 


THE  STORY  OP  STREATOR. 


ply  of  magazines,  journals  and  daily  papers, 
which  is  well  patronized.  The  librarian  is  Mrs. 
A.  P.  Wright;  the  president  Mrs.  A.  S.  Ross; 
and  the  secretaiy  Mr.  A.  C.  Reed. 

Women's  Study  and  Social  Clubs. 

Strangers  moving  to  Streator  will  find  no 
lack  of  oiiportnnity"  for  sociability  or  culture. 
It  is  remarkable  for  the  number  of  its  societies, 
its  social  and  study  clubs.  Among  the  latter 
are  a  great  variety  of  progrannnes  suited  to 
nearly"  ever  taste.  The  AVoman's  Club  is  the 
largest  and  it  has  several  departments,  and  one 
mav  work  at  philanthropy,  civics,  domestic 
arts,  or  other  lines  of  study.  Then  there  are 
the  smaller  groups,  which  include  the  Callere, 
the  E  Re  Xata,  the  Philonuitheon,  the  Klio,  the 
Legensia,  and  the  Twentieth  Century  Clubs. 
Tlie  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Fnion  is 
strong  and  vigorous  here,  and  carries  on  an  im- 
]K)rtant  line  of  work.  The  churches  and  fra- 
ternal bodies  all  have  auxiliaiy  societies,  and 
no  woman  coming  here  would  find  difficulty  in 
finding  contact  and  outlet  for  her  social  and 
intellectual  energies. 

Streator  Opera  Club. 

Streator  supports  a  choral  society  of  about 


one  hundred  members,  and  lovers  of  the  art  of 
song  have  no  lack  of  musical  or  social  oppor- 
tunity. They  aim  to  put  on  a  light  opera  and  a 
choral  concert  each  year,  also  to  assist  in 
bringing  symphonic  orchestras  and  other  fine 
music  to  town.  The  present  year  it  brought 
here  the  state  meeting  of  the  State  Music 
Teachers'  Association,  and  gave  Streator  a  fes- 
tival week  of  music  with  great  success. 

St.  Mary's  Hospital. 

The  Sisterhood  of  St.  Francis  has  taken  on 
itself  the  care  of  the  sick  and  injured  of  the 
town.  Tlie  sisters  have  borne  the  burden  of 
this  Avork  of  cliarity  for  twenty-five  years. 
From  time  to  time  their  hospital  has  been  ex- 
tended and  improved,  keeping  pace  with  the 
needs  of  tlie  town  and  the  advance  of  modern 
medicine  and  surgery.  Today  they  ai'e  eqnip- 
])ed  for  the  care  of  seventy  patients.  The  sis- 
terhood in  Streator  numbers  twenty — all  of 
them  laboring  in  this  humane  work,  without 
ctlier  compensation  than  tlie  rewards  of  relig- 
ion and  the  gratitude  of  the  community.  The 
hosi)ital  charges  are  moderate,  and  provision  is 
made  for  the  care  of  a  certain  number  without 
charge. 


Ralph  Plumb  School. 


THE  STOnV  OP  STREATOH. 


69 


OUR  PUBLIC  AMUSEMENTS 

THEATRES,  SOCIAL  CLUBS,  CHAUTAUQUAS,  FAIRS  AND  NUMER- 
OUS  OTHER   AMUSEMENTS. 


Streatcir  is  kiiowii  as  a  lively  town.  All  the 
ycai'  roiiiiil  tlnTc  is  soiiictliiiiu:  "loiiiii-  for  tlip  en- 
IcrtaiiuiR'iit  cil'  tlic  imlilic.  lii  tho  wiiitiT  four 
theatres  open  their  dtxirs,  otTerinf;:  all  varietie.^^ 
Ill"  staire  aimiseiiifiit.     In  the  siiininer  tliere  are 


weekly  baseball  inatelies,  tliere  are  races,  tliere 
is  tlie  bia:  district  fair,  and  tlie  ("haiitau(|ua  for 
the  less  hilariously  inclined.  The  largest  of  the 
theatres  is  that  devoted  to  the  regular  drama. 


PLUMB  OPERA  HOUSE 


I'liiiul)  opera  Ilou.se  was  erected  i)y  Colonel  seiiibly.  where  tliey  could  liear  tlie  liest  things 
riunil)  in  1SS;{.  lie  l)uilt  it  in  the  same  si>irit  in  music,  drama  and  oratory  under  favorable 
tliat     he     did     the     lliiih  School     bi-cause     lie        coiulitions.     I''or  a  number  of  vears  the  auditor- 


Plumb  Opera  House. 


tliouirlit  tlie  town  needed  it.  lie  exjjeoted  no  ium  was  occupied  on  Sundays  for  lectures  and 
l.rolit  from  it.  and  was  not  disapiniinted.  He  church  sen'ices,  and  during  the  week  for  the- 
wanted  to  give  the  people  a  place  of  public  as-       atrical  purposes;  at  uo  time  have  the  ideals  of 


70 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


its  builders  been  lost  sight  of,  or  the  good  of 
the  communit}-  ceased  to  be  a  prime  considera- 
tion in  its  conduct. 

When  the  property  passed  into  the  hands  of 
its  present  owner,  Mr.  Fawcett  Plumb,  the 
same  motives  prevailed.  He  rebuilt  it  in  1903 
at  a  cost  of  about  $15,000  to  adapt  it  to  the 
needs  of  big  scenic  productions,  and  again  re- 
decorated and  improved  at  a  cost  of  several 
thousand  dollars. 

This  money  has  never  been  returned  in  the 
way  of  profits,  so  from  a  financial  view,  at 
least,  the  theatre  has  been  as  much  a  donation 
as  the  High  School. 

The  theatre  has  been  under  the  management 
of  one  man  for  twenty-six  years,  Mr.  J.  E.  Wil- 
liams, elsewhere  referred  to  as  the  editor  of 
this  book.  During  all  this  time  there  have 
been  associated  with  him  Mr.  George  N.  Tav- 


lor,  head  usher.  The  stage  manager  is  Mr. 
Edw.  Scheibel.  Mr.  Williams  is  well  known  as 
the  Nestor  among  the  managers  of  the  Central 
West  and  as  a  speaker  and  writer  on  dramatic 
subjects.  He  is  a  national  director  of  the  Drama 
League  of  America. 

The  theatre  is  thoroughly  equipped  for  stag- 
ing and  presenting  any  production  that  travels, 
and  has  a  seating  capacity  of  about  1,100. 
Streator  is  regarded  by  the  profession  as  a 
first-class  "show  town."  The  best  touring  at- 
tractions on  the  road  play  Streator,  and  some- 
times the  reputation  of  the  town  and  its  man- 
ager brings  companies  that  do  not  usually  visit 
towns  of  this  size.  The  season  of  I9li-1912, 
just  closed,  has  been  unusually  brilliant,  and 
Streator  has  been  privileged  to  see  a  number  of 
metro])olitan  casts  and  ])roducti(ins  that  seldom 
visit  the  night  stands. 


THE  MAJESTIC  THEATRE 


In  addition  to  the  opera  house  there  are 
four  theatres  devoted  to  vaudeville  and  pic- 
tures, and  of  these  "The  Majestic"  is  the  lar- 
gest. It  was  built  at  a  time  when  the  popular 
taste  was  turning    from    the    regular    drama 


trading  a  large  clientele  to  his  house,  and  it  has 
become  very  popular.  He  has  given  them  not 
only  vaudeville,  but  has  played  long  seasons  of 
"stock"  drama,  all  at  popular  prices.  These, 
alternated  witli    motion  picture    entertainment 


Tile  Majestic  Theatre. 


to  the  lower  priced  form  of  entertainment, 
and  has  proved  veiy  successful.  It  was  erected 
in  1907  by  its  present  owner  and  manager,  Mr. 
C.  A.  Day.    Mr.  Day  has  been  fortunate  in  at- 


form  the  staple  attractions  at  the  Majestic.  It 
is  an  unusually  large  theatre  for  a  house  devot- 
ed to  popular  priced  entertainment  in  a  town  of 
this  size,  having  a  capacity  of  nearly  one  thous- 


THK  STfUn    (»F  STUKATOR. 


71 


aud.  This  lariro  caijacity,  which  is  frequently 
tested,  enables  Mr.  Day  to  put  on  quite  expen- 
sive bills  and  '/ive  his  jiatrons  a  great  deal  for 
their  money.    Tlie  Majestic  is  open  every  night 


in  the  week  and  gives  frequent  matinees.  Mrs. 
Day  is  associated  with  her  Inisband  in  the  con- 
duct of  the  house. 


THE  DAWN  THEATRE 


To  the  lovers  of  motion  pictures,  li<;:lit  vau- 
deville and  song  the  Dawn  Theatre  commends 
itself;  here  each  afternoon  and  evening 
throughout  the  year  is  ))resonted  one  of  the  best 
(ive-ceiit  entertainments  to  be  fouiul  anywhere. 

The  theatre  is  located  in  the  heart  of  the 
business  district  of  the  city,  and  its  attractive 
entrance,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  illus- 
tration is  a  seasonable  inti-oduction  to  a  com- 
niiMliiPus  and  well  appointed  inside. 


when  tired  iVet  anuoiuicc  the  close  of  the  siiop- 
ping  day  and  the  wisdom  of  a  half  hour  of  rest, 
these  people  find  in  the  semi-darkened  Dawn 
Theatre,  where  the  air  is  good,  where  the  seats 
are  comfortable  and  where  a  first  class  five- 
cent  show  is  always  in  progress,  just  such  a 
place  as  they  are  seeking,  and  it  is  a  compli- 
ment to  their  sense  and  taste  to  know  that  they 
take  advantage  of  it. 

While  the  Dawn  Theatre  is  the  latest  addi- 


The  Dawn  Theatre. 


The  stage  is  ample,  the  iionse  is  softly  but 
well  lighted,  exceedingly  well  ventilated  and 
the  exits  are  sullicient  to  clear  the  hall  in  less 
than  a  minute  should  exigency  demand.  In 
winter  the  place  is  comfortably  heated  and  the 
well  arranged  fans  along  the  walls  keep  the 
tenjperature  right  during  the  hottest  days  of 
summer. 

The  people  of  Streator  realize  the  advan- 
tages of  tlie  Dawn  Theatre,  aud  of  an  afternoon 


liuii  to  the  amusement  houses  of  Streator,  it  is 
conceded  to  possess  advantages  al)ove  the  oth- 
ers, and  in  no  way  is  tliis  suiJcriority  more 
marked  than  in  the  personality  of  him  who 
conducts  it. 

The  jiroprietor  and  manager  of  the  "Dawn" 
is  Mr.  Charles  \'ance,  wlio  knows  the  business 
from  end  to  end  and  who  by  training  and  a.s- 
soeiatiou,  knows  the  wants  and  wisiies  of  the 
people  whom  he  serves.    Mr.  Vance  was  a  pic- 


72 


THE  STORV  OF  STRKATOR. 


neer  in  the  motion  picture  show  business,  has 
studied  it  in  all  its  phases,  has  seen  it  from  all 
its  angles;  he  was  the  iirst  man  to  open  a  five- 
cent  play  house  in  Streator — that  was  back  in 
the  years  when  he  who  attempted  it  took  a 
chance. 


In  his  experience  covering  many  years  in 
tlie  north  and  the  south,  in  cities  lai\ge  and 
small,  Mr.  Vance  has  had  opportunity  to  learn 
the  detail  of  the  art  and  here  in  Streator  now 
he  is  putting  into  practical  effect  the  knowledge 
thus  gained. 

Charles  Vance  was  boi-n  in  tliis  I'ity,  spent 


his  youth  and  grew  to  manhood  here,  and  as  a 
result  knows  everyljody  and  everybody  knows 
him.  He  is  familiar  with  the  habits  and  tastes 
of  the  people  and  secures  for  his  house  the 
things  that  please  and  appeal  to  them. 

Apart  from  all  this  "Charley"  is  a  good 
mixer  and  greets  all  with  a  cheerful  gracious- 
ness  that  brings  them  back  again.  He  is  al- 
ways there,  looking  after  the  wants  of  his  pat- 
rons, extending  to  tliem  those  little  acts  of 
courtesy  and  thoughtfulness  that  never  fails  of 
big  reward. 

The  "Dawn"  has  a  seating  capacity  of  450, 
all  of  it  on  the  ground  floor  on  the  ^fain  street. 
Under  such  favorable  conditions  and  with  such 
a  man  at  its  head,  it  is  no  surprise  tliat  to  the 
querj^  "How  is  business?"  one  often  gets  the 
answer  "Had  to  turn  'em  away,"  when  refer- 
ence is  had  to  The  Dawn. 


THE  STREATOR  CLUB 


The  oldest  of    the    city's    social'  organiza- 
tions is  the  Streator  Club.    In  its  membership 


are  the  leading  citizens  of  the  town,  the  solid, 
.-Substantial  men,  on  whom  rest  the  burdens  of 


The  Slrealor  Club  House. 


THK  STORY  OF  STI{i:\Tf)K. 


73 


its  business  and  industrial  enterprises.  It  lias 
been  said  tbat  if  the  men  on  tlie  roster  of  the 
Streator  Club  were  suddenly  wiped  out  there 
wouhl  be  scarcely  anyone  left  at  the  head  of  its 
most  important  concerns. 

Although  composed  of  business  men,  the 
function  of  the  club  is  primarily  social.  Here 
after  business  hours  they  meet  for  relaxation 
and  friendly  converse.  The  admirable  club 
buildiii.i,'  is  ('((uipped  with  all  kinds  of  games, 
liipwiiiii;-,  billiards,  pool,  cards  and  the  like,  and 
access  to  these  is  free  to  all  members.  During 
the  winter  season  a  number  of  club  entertain- 
ments are  given,  such  as  lectures,  concerts,  card 
l>arties,  social  dances  and  the  like,  at  which  the 
families  of  meml)ers  and  invited  guests  meet 
for  social  enjoyment  as  guests  of  the  club,  with- 
out cost. 

The  spacious  rooms  of  the  club  are  often 
hosj>itably  loaned  to  tlie  iniblic  for  jirojier  pur- 


poses for  the  promotion  of  matters  relating  to 
the  good  of  the  community.  The  club  is  broad 
and  democratic  in  its  spirit,  is  not  an  institu- 
tion to  create  a  narrow  and  exclusive  coterie, 
but  its  doors  swing  hospitably  open  to  worth 
and  character  in  whomsoever  found.  Its  rules 
forbid  the  sale  or  use  of  liquor  on  the  premises, 
also  gambling  in  any  forai. 

The  club  was  organized  in  l.SiH,  and  its  first 
oHicers  were:  J.  C.  Ames,  i)resident;  W.  H. 
Boys,  vice  president;  M.  J.  Finlen,  treasurer; 
W.  L.  Koss,  secretary.  In  addition  to  the  fore- 
going the  foUowing  were  diiectors:  F.  Plumb, 
Walter  Keeves,  :M.'  W.  .lack.  K.  II.  P.ailey,  I.  C. 
Cope. 

At  present  the  club  has  a  membershi])  of 
189.  The  odicers  are:  AV.  },\.  nrilliths.  i)resi- 
dent;  ('.  A.  Miller,  vice  i)resi(lent;  II.  L.  Man- 
le\',  secret  a  rv-treasurer. 


NORTHERN  ILLINOIS   DISTRICT  FAIR 


Streator  otTers  many  outdoor  features  for 
the  delecfatiun  of  visitors  and  its  own  peojile 
dui-ing  the  sunnner  months,  but  by  far  overtop 


i?ig  them  iiil  is  tlic  Xoi-tJiern  Illinois  District 
Fair,  which  is  the  largest  institution  of  its  kind 
in  the  state,  outside  tlie  state     fair  at     Sjiring 


74 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


field.  It  will  be  held  this  year  for  six  days, 
from  Sept.  7  to  13,  and  it  will  be  the  Mecca  for 
all  lovers  of  i-ecreation  for  hundreds  of  miles. 
It  is  expected  that  fully  100.000  people  will  at- 
tend, and  the  greatest  aggregation  of  features 
has  been  brought  together  for  their  entertain- 
ment ever  assembled  at  a  District  I^'air. 

It  has  an  appeal  for  every  taste.  First,  is 
the  great  agricultural  exhibit,  which  will  show 
the  products  of  the  richest  farming  district  in 
the  world — right  at  our  own  doors.    Prizes  will 


The  horse  Show  is  always  a  fashionable 
sensation  wherever  it  appears.  It  will  be  held 
at  night  in  front  of  the  grand  stand,  and  tlie 
track  will  be  brilliantly  illuminated.  A  spec- 
taciilar  showing  of  the  equine  aristocracy  of 
America  is  assured.  A  number  of  the  classiest, 
high  bred  horses  in  the  land  are  jDledged  to  be 
here,  including  many  noted  prize-winners  and 
fashionable  favorites. 

This  is  a  great  district  for  horse,  cattle  and 
sheep  and  hog  breeders,  and  they  are  all  coming 


XORTHERN  ILLINOIS  DISTRICT  FAIR — Officers  and  Directors  (Reading  from  left  to  right) — Charles 
Holl,  treas.;  M.  A.  Bronson,  Geo.  Holcombe,  mgr. ;  William  H.  Savage,  John  R.  Knox,  sec;  Arthur  Wolfe, 
P.   J.    Lucey,   Charles  F.   Wenninger,   president;    Guy   C.   Lakin,  John  W.  Fornof. 


be  awarded  for  the  best  exhibits  of  fann  pro- 
ducts, all  varieties,  including  fruits  and  flow- 
ers. The  contest  will  be  open  to  the  ten  coun- 
ties of  the  district,  which  includes  La  Salle, 
Bureau,  Lee,  De  Kalb,  Kendall,  Grundy,  Liv- 
ingston, Marshall,  Woodford  and  Putnam. 

The  Educational  Exhibit  will  bring  out  the 
best  work  of  the  schools  of  the  district,  and  will 
give  an  immense  stimulus  to  the  thousands  of 
children  in  countrj^  and  city  schools.  This  de- 
partment is  in  charge  of  Prof.  J.  G.  Moore,  of 
the  citv  schools. 


to  the  Streator  Fair  to  display  their  stock. 
Some  of  the  most  celebrated  specimens  of  ani- 
mal perfection  in  the  world  will  be  on  exhibi- 
tion.   $10,000  in  cash  premiums  will  draw  them. 

The  Sliced  Programme  will  be  a  sensatioii, 
offering  six  $1,000  stakes,  as  well  as  purses 
which  aggregate  to  $10,500.  This  will  draw 
the  swiftest  of  the  steppers. 

The  Glad  Way  will  give  a  festive  air  to  the 
scene.  On  it  will  be  the  Great  Patterson  Shows 
with  25  different  attractions,  which  include 
Ferris  Wheel,  Steeple  Chase,  performing     ele- 


THF  STOnV  OF  STKi:  \T(»K. 


pliaiits,  (lens  of  linns,  circus,  acrobats  and  a 
host  of  stril<iu<f  and  aniusiug  features.  lu  iront 
of  the  graud  stand  will  be  a  platfonu  on  which 
many  diverting  and  exciting  perfonnances  will 
he  given  free  at  intervals. 

The  Streator  Trotting  &  Fair  Association 
has  spent  about  $2(1.1100  in  i)erinanent  improve- 
ments in  preparation    for    the    Fair,  such    as 


I-'loral  Hall,  Agricultural  Hall,  barns,  etc.,  and 
a  graud  stand  to  seat  10,000  people.  Every- 
thing will  be  conducted  on  the  highest  lines,  no 
hitoxicating  li(|Uors  being  allowed,  or  ai'ything 
of  objectionable  character  permitted.  Space 
will  not  permit  mention  of  the  multitudinous 
features,  Ijut  enough  has  been  said  to  suggest 
the  immensity  of  the  enterprise. 


THE  STREATOR  POSTOFFICE 


'{"lie  governmriil  building  in  Siicalur  is  a 
monument  to  the  local  patriotism  of  lion.  Wal- 
ter Heeves,  tliroui,^!)  whose  iiiHuence  ihe  struc- 
ture was  erected  in  IIMIO,  wiiile  he  was  congress- 
man from  this  district.  It  faces  the  park  and 
is  a  solid,  substantial  structure,  built  of  Strea- 
tor  vitrilied  brick,  and  conveys  the  impression 
of  utility  and  massive  dignity. 


livbh^d,  and  tlic  iiiiirilx-r  ni  <-riticiMii>  and  com- 
plaints reduced  to  the  minimum.  The  disci- 
|)line  of  the  force  has  been  strengtiicned,  but 
so  jH'nneated  by  the  spirit  of  co-operation  and 
mutual  helpfulness,  that  it  has  been  felt  as  a 
help  rather  than  a  hin<lrance.  The  federal  gov- 
ernment maintains  a  rigid  and  tliorougli  going 
supervision  of  its  postofHces.  and  its  inspectors 


Government   Building. 


The  chief  rei)resentative  of  the  federal  gov- 
ermnent  in  Streator  is  Mr.  J.  W.  Fornof.  post- 
nmster.  ^Ir.  I'ornof  was  appointed  by  Presi- 
dent McKinley  in  1898.  twice  reappointed  by 
President  Roosevelt,  and  again  by  President 
Taft,  making  a  period  of  fourteen  years  of  con- 
tinuous service.  During  this  period  the  work 
of  the  postoffice  has  reached  a  high  degree  of 
efficiency.    The  business  of  the  office  has  been 


make  searching  examinations,  but  they  have 
rarely  found  occasion  for  comment  at  Streator. 
Its  money  order  department,  especially,  has  a 
perfect  record. 

]\h'.  Fornof  came  to  Streator  in  1873  and 
found  work  at  his  trade  as  a  printer  on  the 
Streator  Free  Press.  Soon  after  he  became  part 
owner  of  the  paper  and  has  maintained  his  pro- 
prietary interest  until  the  present  time.    Under 


76 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


STREATOR  POSTOPPICE  STAFF— (Reading  from  left  to  right) — James  S.  Robb,  Alex  Suttie,  John  B. 
Mllburn,  asst.  postmaster;  William  Arrandale,  John  F.  Shoop,  Herbert  R.  Sweetser,  George  Brunskill,  Benja- 
min R.  Hall,  Alex  Mclntyre,  Miss  Myrtle  Fornot,  in  charge  of  money  order  dept.;  John  W.  Fornof,  postmaster; 
Guy  C.  Lakin,  supt.  of  carriers;  William  R.  Broadfield,  William  Price,  John  Creber,  Charles  Hall.  (Rural  car- 
riers not  included  in  group.) 


iHi:  sToin  (»K  STi{i:\i(>i{. 


liis  iiiaiiaffomont  tlip  Free  Press  prospcretl  finan- 
cially, ami  iiccanic  one  of  tlio  most  [xiworfiil  or 
.i,'ans  of  the  rcpnhlican  party  in  the  interior  of 
tlie  state.  ^Ir.  Fornof  wields  a  trenchant,  incis- 
ive and  fearless  pen,  and  his  editorials  have 
heen  widely  cojiicd  in  the  party  press,  especial- 
ly on  matters  of  ccoiioinic  and  financial  policy, 
on  wiiii'li  he  writes  with  conviction  an<l  author- 
it  v.  lie  has  heen  president  of  the  Hei»u))licaH 
p:ditoriaI  Association  of  tlie  Twelftli  District 
since  its  oruani/.ation.  and  it  is  not  too  nnich  to 
say  tliat  .Mr.  l-'ornof  has  fnrni<lied  many,  if  not 
most  of  t!ie  controlling  "key-note"  articles  and 
ideas  which  have  found  acceptance  amonsj  liis 
ci.llcairues  of  the  country  press,  and  which  have 
helped  to  <hape  ]iarty  policy  in  the  state. 

The  power  of  .Mr.  l-'ornof 's  pen  has  heen  re 
cojfiiizeil  hy  party  leaders  in  the  state.  He  had 
charfie  of  the  literary  work  in  Gov.  Yates' 
j,'ul)ernatorial  campaiirn,  and  was  a  valued 
friend  and  lieutenant  of  Hon.  ^\^•llter  Kee'.es  in 
his  pulilic  life,  lie  was  assistant  Serveani-at- 
arms  at  the  luitional  convention  that  nominated 
President  McKinley,  ami  represented,  hy  ap 
|)ointment  of  (iov.  Tanner,  the  state  of  Illinois 
in  the  national  congress  on  trusts  in  litOO.    lie 


has  heen  active  in  tlie  local  affairs  of  the  city, 
especially  in  fraternal  matters  and  out-door 
sport.s.  lie  has  been  vice-president  of  the  Strea- 
tor  Trottinf>-  and  Fair  Association,  and  is  one  of 
the  promoters  of  the  Nortliern  Illinois  District 
Fair.  lie  has  heen  president  of  the  Streator 
("luh.  tlie  Golf  Clnl)  aiul  the  Illinois  N'alley  (lolf 
Association. 

The  next  in  command  to  Mr.  l-'ornof  in  the 
Streator  oflice  is  Mr.  dolin  Pi.  .Milhuni,  assist- 
ant postmaster.  .Mr.  Milliurn  is  an  ex-coal 
miner,  one  of  the  many  Kn.nlisii  miners  of  Strea- 
tor who  have  found  tiieir  way  out  of  the  mines 
by  self-education  and  throu.nh  tlieir  own  inher- 
ent force  of  character  and  ability.  Mr.  .\lex 
Suttie.  register  clerk,  is  another  ex  coal  miner, 
ami  leader  of  labor  foices.  In  the  ol1i<-e  too,  are 
Messrs.  Guy  Lakin,  sui»erintendent  of  carriers; 
K.  .lordan.  distributing-  clerk;  dolin  ilaney, 
niirht  clerk;  Miss  Myrtle  Fornof.  money  order 
clerk;  and  Miss  Ma\  1  lai'rinirton,  li-eneral  de 
livery  clerk.  In  addition  tliei-e  are  eleven  city 
carriers  and  eijjht  rural  delivery  carriers,  niak- 
ins;:  a  total  of  twenty-seven  em])loyes  of  the  nov- 
eimient  in  the  Streator  postotlice. 


THE  PUBLIC  SERVICE  COMPANY  OF  NORTHERN  ILLINOIS 


The  Public  Service  Comjiany  of  Xorthern  Il- 
linois is  Streator's  latest  ac(piisitioi..  As  its 
name  implies  its  business  is  to  serve  the  public. 
It  is  a  jturveyor  of  ])ower.  It  jrathers  enerc:y 
from  its  natural  sources,  coal  and  water,  con- 
verts it  into  electricity,  tran-^mntes  it  a^ain 
into  liirht.  heat  or  mechanical  ))ower.  and  de- 
livers it  to  the  factory,  tlie  lm-;ine-<s  Iionse.  the 
•lome.  or  wherever  needed. 

It  is  a  public  servant.  Unless  it  can  serve  the 
people  it  cannot  succeed.  It  Ins  made  im- 
mense investments  in  Streator.  Its  scale  of  ex- 
penditure contemplates  the  develo])ment  of  the 
cit\'  to  much  lai'.uer  propoi-tions  than  at  prest'nt, 
and  nidess  Streator  iirows  the  investments  will 
not  yield  adeiiuate  returns.  The  fortunes  of 
the  Public  Service  Company  are  linked  with 
those  of  Streator.  and  it  is  committed  by  its 
investments  to  work  for  the  proj;ress  of  tlie 
city.  It  comes,  therefore,  as  a  jiowerful  rein- 
forcer  of  the  forces  that  are  workiny-  for  its  np- 
buildini;-.  and  it  is  able  as  well  as  willinuc  to  give 
valmdile  assistance  in  promotinu'  its  perman- 
ent prosperity. 


What  It  Can  Do  for  Streator, 
What  can  the    Public  Service    Comi>any  do 
tor  Streator.' 

1.  It  can  place  it  with  ri'sjiect  to  its  ]iower 
supi)ly  in  as  fa\'orable  position  as  Cliicago  or 
any  city  in  the  west. 

2.  It  can  give  it  a  power  supply  for  manu- 
facturing oi-  otluM-  purposes,  that  is  absolutely 
dependable — guaranteed  against  interruptions 
or  failure  of  supply. 

3.  It  can,  indeed  it  must,  furnisii  this  ser- 
vice at  a  cost  that  will  be  advantageous  to  the 
user.  Otherwise  it  cannot  get  a  volume  of  busi- 
ness that  will  yield  returns  on  the  investment. 

The  Public  Service  t'om])any  is  able  to  do 
these  things  because  it  is  itself  a  great  and 
I)owerful  institution,  perhaps  the  greatest  in 
the  west  in  its  line.  It  has  at  its  connnand 
practically  unlimited  capital,  and  the  .services 
of  one  of  the  finest  corjis  of  supervisors  and 
workers  in  the  world.  In  the  development  of 
modern  electrical  business  it  has  been  found 
tliat  sco])e  of  operations  and  magnitude  of  out- 
put are  most  important  factoi-s  in  economy  of 


78 


THK  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


prodnctioii.  The  grouping  of  a  large  number 
of  towns  and  cities  in  one  system  make  for 
economies  and  efficiencies  that  would  not  be 
possible  to  a  single  unit  of  ]n'o<luction,  and  the 
wide  scope  of  operations  of  the  Public  Service 
Company  enables  it  to  give  this  advantage  to 
its  patrons. 

Discovery  of  Improved  Transfers. 

Only  within  recent  years  has  this  economy 
of  service  by  the  grouping  of  consumers  been 
possible.  So  long  as  there  was  no  efficient  me- 
dium of  transmission,  the  individual  unit  of 
]U"oilnction  had  to  get  along  as  best  it  could. 
But  with  the  discovery  of  the  improved  trans- 
former, a  new"  era  opened  up — the  era  of  com- 
bination and  consolidation.  Towns  and  villages 
that  had  hitherto  been  isolated  and  detached, 
struggling  along  with  primitive  and  wasteful 
methods,  now  became  connected  into  groups 
and  systems,  and  it  became  possible  for  the 
smallest  hamlets  to  enjoy  the  economies  of  the 
collective  output  and  <'onsumption — be  as  well 
off,  in  fact,  as  the  city. 

What  did  the  improved  transformei'  do? 

It  enabled  the  j^roducer  to  use  a  mucli 
higher  voltage  than  before  h;ul  lieeu  possible. 
Wliei-eas  a  few  years  ago  it  liad  been  limited 
to  tl:e  use  of  a  direct  current  of  500  volts,  and 
tiiat  only  for  short  distances,  it  was  now  en- 
ai>!ed  to  use  a  100,000  volt  alternating  cnrrent 
which  could  be  sent  witli  little  loss  for  practi- 
cally -.inlimited  distances.  The  gain  in  effici- 
ency was  almost  in  the  ratio  of  the  voltnge,  .-.r-d 
it  became  possible  to  utilize  high  tension  CMr- 
rent  lA  great  distances  from  the  point  of  ven- 
eration. T])us  has  the  improved  trjiusformer 
hel])ed  to  solve  the  problem  of  the  transmission 
of  ))ower,  nnd  with  it  the  problem  of  the  unifi- 
cation and  consolidation  of  the  interests  of 
widely  sexci'cd  communities. 

The  Modern  Central  Power  Plant. 

Growing  out  of  this  were  other  economies, 
notably  the  utilization  of  the  advantages  of  the 
modern  central  power  ])lant.  Formerly  the  lo- 
cal plant  contented  itself  with  a  coal  wasting, 
man-killing,  tul)ular  boiler;  now  the  big  plant 
has  a  water  tube  boiler  witli  its  large  area  of 
fire  contact,  its  patent  stoker,  uniform  fuel 
feed,  etc.  Again  the  little  plant  had  an  old 
fashioned  slide  valve  engine  which  leaked 
about  a  (luarter  of  the  steam;  while  the  modern 
plant  has  a  compound  condensing  Corliss,  or  a 
steam  turbine.  (The  Commonwealth-Edison 
Company  recently  imported  a  40,000  Parson's 
steam  tui-bine  from  England.)     The    old    gen- 


erators used  to  be  handicapped  by  a  long  drive 
belt;  in  the  modern  plant  it  is  driven  directly 
off  the  engine  shaft. 

In  these  and  many  other  ways  the  big  cen- 
tral power  plant,  generating  a  large  output 
and  serving  a  wide  territory,  is  able  to  effect 
enormous  savings  over  the  old  methods.  Add 
to  these  the  immense  advantage  of  the  employ- 
ment of  the  best  talent  the  country  affords  in 
all  the  departments  of  electrical  service,  tal- 
ent which  no  individixal  concern  could  pay  for, 
and  no  one  can  doubt  the  benefit  of  the  co- 
ojieration  brought  about  by  modern  institu- 
tions such  as  tlie  Public  Service  Company. 

The  Load  Dispatcher. 

But  the  most  im])ortant  service,  indeed  the 
one  indispensable  service,  the  Co-operative 
system  has  given  to  Streator  is  the  relieving  it 
of  the  fear  of  interruptions  and  break-downs.  A 
service  that  is  at  the  mercy  of  one  generating 
plant,  with  its  recurring  accidents  and  stop- 
pages is  simi)ly  impossible  in  these  modern 
days.  Since  the  introduction  of  the  loop  system 
by  the  Public  Service  Com])any  Streator  has  be- 
come a  station  on  a  circuit  tliat  has  many  cen- 
tres of  generation,  and  its  supply  is  as  certain 
as  that  of  Chicago  with  which  it  is  connected. 

Presiding  over  this  co-operative  circuit, 
with  its  many  centres  of  generation  and  dis- 
tribution is  an  officer  called  tlie  load  disjiatcher, 
who  corresponds  in  a  way  to  a  railroad  train 
dispatcher.  Shut  out  from  the  world,  in  a  lit- 
tle room  by  himself,  the  load  dispatcher  guides 
the  electrical  cui'rent  on  its  circuit.  In  front  of 
him  is  a  switch  board,  on  which  every  town  is 
marked  with  a  lamp,  and  the  widely  ramifying 
lines  connecting  towns  are  under  the  control  of 
his  switch.  An  accident  or  break  on  any  line  is 
immediately  noticed  by  him,  and  the  current  is 
shunted  at  once  to  some  other  route.  Thus  it  is 
impossible  for  any  town  to  be  cut  off  from  the 
source  of  sujiply  for  more  than  a  few  moments, 
and  the  several  different  sources  are  always  on 
tap  and  ready  to  respond. 

The  Need  of  Uniform  Use. 

To  seciu'e  tlie  maximum  benefit  of  the  econ- 
omies suggested  herein,  it  is  necessary  there 
should  be  an  adequate  and  well  distributed  vol- 
ume of  business.  This  cannot  be  secured  by  the 
use  of  the  plant  for  lighting  alone,  for  then  the 
operative  period  is  concentrated  into  a  period 
of  three  hours,  and  the  system  with  its  heavy 
charges  of  investment  and  service  is  non-pro- 
ductive for  the  balance  of  the  time.  Thus  it  is 
that  the  company  is  striving  to  induce  the  use 


THK  STfmV  OF  STRKATOR. 


79 


id"  t'lc'L-trii'ity  in  factories  aud  work  shops.  It 
feels  that  it  can  more  than  equal  the  value  of 
any  other  form  of  ])o\ver  to  its  users,  and  so 
aims  ultimately  to  be  the  uuuu  power  producer 
of  the  town.  When  this  is  done  the  full  benefit 
of  the  l'ul)li('  Service  Company  to  Streator  will 
be  realized,  and  it  will  be  recofjnized  as  one  of 
tiie  <,n-eatest  factors  in  promoting  the  welfare 
of  the  city. 

Solves  the  Servant  Girl  Problem. 

The  use  of  electricity  is  as  yet  in  its  infancy. 
Tile  time  is  not  far  distant  wJien  most  of  the  la- 
bor of  tlie  farm  or  home  will  be  done  by  it. 
Kven  now  it  has  ceased  to  be  a  luxury  and  has 
become  a  household  necessity.  A  fan  can  be 
run  for  less  than  a  cent  an  hour,  and  the  family 
washini;  can  be  done  for  2.')  cents  per  month. 
Toasters,  iiercolators,  vacuum  cleaners,  ironers 
are  in  common  use,  and  the  servant  girl  prob- 
lem is  in  a  fair  way  of  beim;  solved  by  the  elec- 
tric current. 

A  Reconstructed  Gas  Plant. 

The  I'nblic  Service  Company  deals  also  in 
jias  for  li^ht  and  heating',  and  already  $40,00(1 
has  been  sjient  in  reconstructiufj;  the  plant  and 
convert injr  il  from  a  coal  to  water  gas  system. 
.More  must  be  spent  in  renewing  thi'  distriltut- 
iug  system,  which  when  completed  will  l)e  thor- 
oughly modern  and  up  to  <late.     it  will  be  able 


to  demonstrate  that  gas  is  more  economical 
for  many  ]iurposes  than  coal,  and  will  be  ready 
to  furnish  glass  and  other  furnaces  with  gas  for 
melting  purjioses. 

Traction  System  Rebuilt. 

Tlie  traction  system  is  also  in  i)rocess  of  re- 
constniction  and  will  re(]nire  the  exi»enditure 
of  a  large  sum  of  money.  When  comiileted  new 
street  cars  will  be  added,  and  Streator  will 
have  as  fine  an  urban  traction  system  as  any 
city  of  its  class  in  the  west.  As  the  city  gi'ows 
this  system  will  spread  out  to  reach  new  dis- 
tricts and  make  connections  with  new  factory 
areas  that  will  spring  up  outside  the  city. 

Inducement  to  New  Factories. 

In  conclusion,  the  Public  Service  Company 
can  be  of  immense  value  to  Streator  in  offering 
as  an  inducement  to  new  factories  a  thoi'ough- 
ly  dependable  supply  of  absolutely  unlimited 
power.  The  advantage  to  a  new  industry  of 
being  relie\'ed  of  the  necessity  of  erecting  a 
costly  power  i)hint.  with  its  expensive  labor  and 
fuel  ex])enditure,  its  liability  to  acciiloits  and 
stoii))age  of  business,  its  dirt,  waste  and  dis- 
comfort, is  an  ad\anfage  hardly  to  be  com- 
p\ite<l.  And  the  com]iany  olTcrs  this  service  to 
Streator  in  a  degree  e(|ualling  any.  and  surpass- 
ing manv,  cities  of  the  west. 


STREATOR  INDEPENDENT  TELEPHONE  &  TELEGRAPH  COMPANY 


Few  public  service  corporations  enjoy  more 
cordial  I'elations  with  patrons  and  jmblic  than 
does  The  Streator  Independent  Telephone  & 
Telegraph  ( 'ompany. 

If  there  was  any  fear  that  pooi'cr  service 
would  follow  when  the  "  Inde))endent "  consoli- 
dated witli  the  "P.ell."  that  fear  has  long  ago 
been  dispelled. 

The  •■  Irxicpei'dent "'  lias  the  good  sense  to 
I'ealize  that  no  concern  has  to  be  more  consid- 
erate in  dealing  with  \t.<  customers  than  one 
which  enjoys  a  partial  or  complete  monopoly. 
Conse(|nently  its  ])olicy  has  been  to  do  every- 
Ihins:-  liunianly  jHissible  to  keep  its  service  at 
the  highest  point  of  elliciency;  to  meet  every 
complaint  promptly;  to  be  on  the  alei-t  to  meet 
and  even  anticii)ate  the  wants  of  every  patron. 
That  it  has  been  successful  in  this  ambition  is 
evidenced  by  its  long  and  increasing  list  of 
patrons. 


The  "Independent"  was  established  here 
in  1!>01.  It  started  with  800  subscribers.  The 
■'Hell"  was  already  on  the  ground  and  was 
solidly  entrenched  in  the  business  section.  In 
four  years  the  Independent's  i)atrons  had  in- 
creased to  144.S,  while  its  rival  showed  no  jiro- 
gress.  In  1911  it  was  found  expedient  and 
economical  to  merge  the  two  telephone  systems 
and  when  the  Inde)iendent  took  over  the  Bell 
it  added  oidy  KJ  city  telephones  to  its  list, 
showing  conclusively  that  the  Bell  'phone  was 
only  kept  as  a  duplicate,  or  for  long  distance 
convenience.  The  merger  j)roved  a  great  econ- 
omy to  subscribers,  as  it  enabled  many  of  thejn 
to  do  away  with  the  exi)ense  and  annoyance  of 
tAvo  'phones.  It  also  avoided  the  duplication  of 
expense  caused  by  the  maintenance  of  two 
systems. 

In  190,")  the  "Independent"  moved  from  its 
quarters  in  the  Opera  House  Block  to  its  own 


so 


THK  STORY  OF  STREATOK. 


building',  a  substantial  brick  structure,  design- 
ed especially  for  telephone  ]iurposes.  The  best 
equipment  that  money  could  l»uy  wa-  installed 


been  increased  year  by  year  until  it  now  has 
readied  tlie  grand  total  of  2,500  subscribers, 
about  2.000  of  them  being  the  city  and  about 


Home  of  Telephone  Company. 


in  tlie  new  Imilding,  while  outside  many  valu- 
able and  costly  improvements  were  made;  wires 
were  placed  under  ground  in  the  business  sec- 


500  in  the  country. 

This  policy  of  maximum  efficiency  has  not 
been  limited     to  the    mechanical    department. 


Switchboard  and  Operators. 


tion.  wliiie  elsewhere  cables  were  substituted  for 
o])en  wires  wherever  practical. 

This  constant  striving    for    efficiency     has 
been  appreciated  and  the  list  of    patrons    has 


but  has  been  cmpliasized  in  tlie  organization 
of  the  office  force.  The  human  element,  the  li- 
ability to  carelessness  and  iudiffei'ence,  has 
been  safeguarded  in  the  most  ingenious  man- 


THi:   STOKV   OK  STItKXTOH. 


81 


ner.  S'liporvision  lias  hccii  reduced  to  a  fine  art, 
and  tliere  is  no  oppnrtunity  for  sliirking  or  ne- 
glect on  tlip  part  of  tlie  employes  to  pass  un- 
noticed. So  ol)vious  is  tills  that  if  an  irate 
customer  comes  in  with  a  complaint  ai^ainst  the 
"Hello  <Iirls,"  the  readiest  reply  is  to  take  hiiii 
into  the  operating  room  and  .slntw  him  the  girls 
at  work.     What  he  sees  is  this: 

A  I'ow  of  girls  before  the  switchltc^ard.  eacli 
of  them  seriously  intent  on  handling  tli(»  midti- 
ludinous  calls  that  come  in.  Hehind  them  walks 
the  su|»ervisor,  jiacing  continuously  back  and 
forth  on  a  cork  walk,  watching  with  alert  eye 
the  movements  of  e\-ery  girl,  more  vigilant  than 
:i  policenum  on  his  heat.  At  a  desk  sits  a  moni- 
tor anri  l)efore  her  is  an  aiijiaratus  that  enables 
her  to  cut  in  and  listen  to  every  word  the 
operator  is  saying,  whetliei"  polite  or  impolite, 
or  whethei'  she  is  merely  neirlectful.  .\nd  o\'er 
all  is  tlie  chief  operator  with  watchful  eye  on 
the  whole  force  and  exercising  a  discipline  llpit 
cannot  l)e  evaded. 

When  the     complaining     cu.-tomer     sees  all 
these  arrangements   for  the   jirotection  of  i>at 
rons  he  usually  throws  up  liis  liands  mkI  lias  no 
more  kick  coming. 

'i\)  he  sure  there  are  causes  for  coinpiaint, 
for  iiuman  service  is  not  infallible  but  it  is  not 
where  the  impetu<Mis  customer  is  nu)st  apt  to 
place  it  on  tlie  •-honidcr^  of  the  "lldlo  (lirl." 


i)ut  M'lierever  it  is,  the  management  is  always 
anxious  to  remedy  it,  and  spares  no  labor  or  ex- 
pense to  give  the  most  perfect  service  possible 
and  keep  its  customers  satisfied  and  friendly. 

The  amount  of  Inisiness  done  is  enormous, 
surpassing  the  concejition  of  even  tluise  famil- 
iar with  the  'phone.  Each  day  of  the  year 
these  girls  have  to  listen  to  and  transmit  20,000 
calls,  and  to  each  of  these,  whether  gruff  or 
kind,  has  to  jireserve  a  smooth,  even  voice  and 
resjiectful  demeanor,  whatever  her  personal 
condition  or  feeling  may  be.  That  this  immense 
volume  of  business  is  handled  daily  with  so 
slight  a  jiercentage  of  error  is  a  marvel,  and 
arouses  admiration  foi'  the  oi-ganization  and 
iliscipline  that  makes  it  i>ossible. 

To  handle  this  mass  of  business  ie(|uires  a 
foi-ce  of  5.")  peojile.  of  whom  ."}.")  are  switchboard 
operators.  .")  ai'e  in  tlie  office  department,  and 
1.")  in  the  maintenance  and  construction  force. 

The  owners  of  the  comiiany  are  a  number  of 
business  men  of  Aurora,  Illinois.  ^Fr.  L.  R. 
I'arker  is  the  secretai>  and  genei'al  manager, 
and  Mr.  A.  H.  Tatterson  is  local  nu\nager.  ^Ir. 
I'.-ittersOn  is  a  Streator  jiroduct,  is  a  popular 
tiKMuber  of  the  Klks  and  other  soeieiies,  takes 
an  active  ]iart  in  the  social  and  public  life  of 
the  city,  and  no  doubt  the  good  feeling  with 
which  the  compr.ny  is  regarded  is  duo  measur- 
ably to  the  popularity  of  its  local  representative. 


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mk      g^   y^ 


'1/ 


Streator  lends  liberal  support  to  the  nationa:  game,  and   is  a   member  of   tUe   liiiuuis  auJ   .Missouri  i>cague.   The 

above   Is  a   picture  of   the     Streator  League  team  for  1912. 


82 


THK  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


RULERS   OF  THE    CITY 

A  GROUP  OF  NOTABLE  EX-MAYORS  OF  STREATOR  AND  A  BRIEF 

HISTORY  OF  THEIR  LIVES. 


HON.  J.  C.  AMES. 


One  of  tlie  most  prominent  figures  in  the 
political  life  of  Illinois  is  Hon.  J.  C.  Ames,  and 
one  of  the  most  valued  counsellors  and  leaders 
of  his  party.  His  tirst  important  ])olitical  office 
was  mayor  of  the  city  of  Streator,  to  which  he 
was  elected  by  the  republican  ]iarty  iu  188.)  at 
the  close  of  the  admin- 
istration of  Col.  Eali>li 
Plumb.  He  had  been  al- 
derman in  the  council 
of  his  distinguished 
predecessor,  and  gave 
him  able  snjijmrt  iu 
shaping  the  jwlicies  of 
the  new  city.  He  was 
re-elected  in  1887.  His 
administrations  were 
concerned  with  foun- 
dational measures  of 
municii)al  development, 
the  starting  of  a  scien- 
tific sewer  system,  the 
settling  of  the  (luestion 
of  water  works,  the 
planning  of  grades  for 
streets  and  sidewalks, 
etc. 

At  the  end  of  his  sec- 
ond term  Mr.  Ames  re- 
tired from  public  life  to 
devote  himself  to  his 
growing  business,  but 
his  genius  for  politics 
was  such  that  his  party 
friends  were  constantly 
calling  for  his  help  and  his  amiability  was  such 
that  he  could  not  say  no.  Besides,  he  liked  it; 
the  congenial  companionship,  the  opportunity 
for  giving  service,  the  excitement  of  party  con- 
tests all  apjiealed  to  him.  And  so  J.  C.  Ames 
became  a  familiar  figure  at  conventions;  his  af- 


Hon.  J.   C.  Ames 


fability  and  friendliness,  his  tact  and  his  in- 
sight into  chai'acter,  brought  his  talents  into 
freciuent  demand  by  party  leaders,  and  he  be- 
came known  as  one  of  the  most  influential  re- 
imblicans  in  the  state. 

Never  obtnisive,  his  name  figured  rarely  in 
Itublie  prints,  nor  was  he  ever  found  in  the 
lime  light,  which  seems  so  alluring  to  public 
men.     His  jiower  lay  in  his  wide  ac.|uai>itance 

with  the  sti'ong  men  of 
the  state,  in  the  towns 
and  villages  as  well  as 
in  the  cities  and  in  their 
personal  good  will  to- 
wai'd  him.  Few  men  in 
tln'  jiublic  'ife  of  the 
state  have  been  so  genu- 
inely liked  or  had  so 
many  warm  friends.  His 
jiosition  made  it  pos- 
sible for  him  to  confer 
many  benefits,  and  he 
ne\er  l)egrudged  the 
time  or  labor  to  do  a 
man  a  good  turn,  and 
tiever  let  an  oiijiortunity 
to  do  a  service  pass 
uiiiiiipi-oved.  And  it  all 
sprang  from  a  heart 
naturally  dis))osed  to 
geniality  and  kindness, 
and  whatever  benefits 
were  conferred  were 
given  and  accepted  as 
from  a  friend,  and  they 
made  friends  wherever 
John  Ames'  kindly 
smile  and  hearty  hand 
clasp  went  with  them.  It  was  impossiiile  that 
l)olitical  talents  such  as  his  should  remain  con- 
fined to  the  lumber  business,  and  so  his  time 
came  to  be  claimed  more  and  more  by  his 
])arty.  In  due  time  came  substantial  public 
recognition.     He  was  ai)i)ointed    president     of 


THK  STOI5V   OF  STRK.XTOH. 


S3 


passes     thnaigh     the 


the  Illinois  and  Michi<i:an  Canal  Comniission 
by  Gov.  FitVr.  Later  lie  was  ajjijoiiited  Mai- 
slia!  for  the  (li>ti-ict  of  Xortlieni  Illinois  by 
President  .MeKinley,  and  re-ajipointed  by  I'resi- 
dent  Koo.sevelt.  He  now  oceupies  the  position  of 
Collector  of  the  I'ort  of  Chieago,  to  which  he 
was  appointed  by  President  Roosevelt  and  re- 
appointed by  ['resident  Taft.  In  this  iinpor 
tant  ollico  he  has  made  an  exceptional  record 
for  efficiency  and  tlioronj;h-fi;oinf;  bnsiness 
methods.  Some  idea  of  the  nia.irnitude  of  its 
transactions  mav  be  had  from  the  fact  that 
;{:.")(l,00( ),()()( I  in  currency 
collector's  hands  annu- 
ally. Mr.  .\!iies  also 
holds  the  office  of  cus 
todian  of  the  (im-crn- 
meiil  Fiuildini;-  in  Chi- 
ca;jo  with  its  nearly  five 
hnndicil  eniploye>,  and 
its  manifold  re.-ponsi- 
bilities.  'Phonuli  the 
stress  of  many  labors 
have  impaired  his  for 
mer  ru<ru:ed  health.  .Mr. 
Ames  may  lie  foniul 
at  his  desk  everx  morii- 
iiiir,  and  yives  as  scrn 
piilon~  attention  to  the 
l)usiness  as  would  aii\ 
younir  depjirtnient  man- 
ager starting  to  make 
a  record.  lint  he  i> 
never  too  Inisy  to  gi\'e 
the  glad  hand  lo  an  old 
fellow-townsman,  or  to 
do  him  a  favor,  as  the 
writer  can  testify. 

.1.  ('.  Ames  was  born 
in  Freedom  Township, 
La  Salle  ( 'oiintx .  .hil\ 
17.  IS.')!'.  His  fatiier  was 

a  pioneer  settler,  coming  in  184S.  Young  Ames 
worked  on  the  farm  in  summer  and  went  to 
scliool  i?i  winter.  He  had  two  years  at  State 
Xormal  to  linivji  Ids  education.  He  came  to 
Streator  in  ISTl*  and  entered  the  drug  bnsiness 
with  the  hrm  of  Dickerman  (.<:  Ames.  Next 
he  went  into  the  hardware  business  with  liis  fa- 
ther as  I.  Ames  i.*v:  Son.  They  were  burned  out 
in  IS?."),  and  he  continued  the  business  alone 
until  188.').  In  1878  he  founded  the  lumber 
business  which  is  now  known  as  the  .).  ('.  Ames 
I..uml)er  rom))any.  and  of  which  he  is  still  the 
president  and  ]>rin('ipal  owner.     Xotwithstand 


ing  his  important  jiolitical  activity  he  has  al- 
ways retained  his  interest  in  his  home  town, 
has  been  president  of  one  of  its  banks  and  has 
had  an  active  jiart  in  all  movements  looking  to 
its  upbuilding. 


HON.  W.  H.  BOYS. 


Hon.   W.    H.    Boys. 


The  fifth  mayor  of  Sti-eator  was  William 
II.  Hoys,  a  man  who  has  since  rendei'ed  the 
most  distinguished  services  to  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois that  it  has  been 
within  the  power  of 
any  member  rf  the  bar 
to  jierform  in  our  gen- 
eration. 

.Mr.  Hoys  was  mayor 
of  Streator  from  1891 
to  1S!».'?.  after  a  term  of 
service  as  city  attor 
ney.  During  his  term  of 
office  he  demonstrated 
;'  fact  the  truth  of 
which  is  often  denied. 
iKimely.  that  it  is  in 
tile  i)ower  of  tlie  execu- 
tive to  enforce  the  laws 
if  he  lias  the  will  and 
dispositicui.  He  l)roke 
up  public  gainliling  ini- 
ine(Iiatelv,  and  caused 
the  sjiorts  to  hide  their 
uanibling  devices  and 
keep  them  under  cover 
duriiii;-  his  administra- 
tion. Xext  he  turned 
liis  attention  io  the  sa- 
loons, and  found  the 
task  more  diflicnit.  Fin- 
ally he  got  an  ordi- 
iiani'e  through  tlie  couniMl  clothing  the  mayor 
with  the  i)ower  to  revoke  licenses.  Promptly 
on  being  vested  with  this  power  Mr.  lioys  re- 
voked the  licenses  of  a  couple  of  saloon-keep- 
ers, and  for  the  balance  of  his  administration 
they  obeyed  the  laws.  He  was  no  extremist  on 
the  liquor  (piestion,  but  was  simply  determined 
to  keeji  his  oath  of  office  and  enforc<'  the  stat- 
utes and  ordiimnces. 

This  gave  the  )iublic  its  first  glimjjse  of  the 
man  who  was  later  to  carry  to  a  triumphant 
conclusion  the  greatest  legal  battle  to  which 
the  State     of  Illinois     h;is  been     a  jiarty.     The 


S4 


thp:  story  op  streator. 


same  resolute  perseverance,  the  same  i;nwaver- 
ing  determination  that  brouolit  the  lawbreak- 
ers of  Streator  to  time,  were  displayed  in  the 
case  of  the  Illinois  Central  railroad,  a  case 
characterized  by  the  Su})reme  Court  as  the 
most  im]iortaut  in  its  legal  issues,  and  in  mag- 
nitude of  financial  interests  that  had  ever  been 
tried  in  Illinois. 

The  Illinois  Central  Case. 

Undei-  its  charter  witli  the  state  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  was  required  to  pay  in  lieu  of 
other  taxes  seven  ]ier  cent  of  its  "gross  pro- 
ceeds, receipts  and  income."  The  state  admin- 
istration charged  that  the  I'ailroad  was  not 
]iaying  in  the  required  amount,  and  Mr.  Boys 
wa^  ajipointed  special  counsel  for  the  state. 
Then  followed  years  of  exhaustive  and  brain- 
racking  investigation.  The  tremendously  in- 
volved system  of  railroad  accounting  and  fi- 
nancing had  to  be  studied,  and  the  multitudin- 
ous details  of  a  great  system  had  to  be  gath- 
ered, co-ordinated  and  interpreted.  The  law 
applicable  to  the  facts  had  to  be  discovered, 
and  the  legal  theoiy  of  the  case  thoroughly 
worked  out.  The  enormous  labor  of  this  gigan- 
tic task  fell  upon  the  shoulders  of  W.  H.  Boys, 
and  that  he  was  able  to  thread  his  way  through 
the  labyrinth  maze  of  railroad  figures,  pur- 
))osely  covered  and  comiilicated,  and  emerge 
with  a  clear,  definite  concejition  of  the  law  in 
the  case,  is  a  greater  tribute  to  his  intellectual 
capacity  and  legal  acumen  than  any  verbal 
eulog.w  however  elo(|uent. 

Sustained  By  Supreme  Court. 

He  found  twenty-one  different  items  which 
the  ]-ailroad  had  failed  to  include  in  its  re- 
port to  the  state.  They  consisted  of  such  earn- 
ings as  revenue  from  switching  charges,  ex- 
])ress  carriage,  dining  cars,  rent  of  terminal  fa- 
cilities, income  from  the  Cairo  and  Dubuque 
bridges,  unfair  division  of  mileage  between 
chartered  and  unchartered  lines,  and  many 
other  sources.  Beaten  in  the  Circuit  C'ourt,  the 
case  was  taken  to  the  Supreme  Court,  and  Mr. 
Boys  had  the  immense  satisfaction  of  having 
the  highest  court  in  the  state  si;stain  him  in 
eighteen  out  of  the  twenty-one  points  he  had 
raised. 

Uncounted  millions  Avere  involved  in  this 
suit,  for  it  affected  not  only  seven  per  cent  on 
the  earnings  of  the  road  in  the  past  years,  but 
also  its  earnings  in  the  centuries  that  are  yet 
to  come.  And  it  marked  also  one  of  the  great- 
est upreachings  of  civic  conscience  in  its  deal- 
ings with  large  corporations,  and  a  victorious 


assertion  of  the  power  of  the    people    of    the 
state  through  the  courts. 

This  is  an  epic  as  yet  unsung.  Even  the 
])eople  of  his  own  town  scarcely  recognize  the 
magnitude  of  this  achievement,  and  it  is  one  of 
the  pleasant  uses  of  this  chronicle  to  set  forth 
v^'ith  fitting  emj)hasis  the  great  achievements 
of  men  so  near  to  ns  in  their  daily  walks  that 
we  scarce  sense  their  heroic  quality.  Tliei'e  has 
not  been  a  bigger  thing  done  than  this  in  our 
generation  in  the  strife  between  law  and  ]n-ivi- 
lege,  and  it  will  not  be  seen  in  its  duo  per.spec- 
tive  until  the  battle  between  state  and  corpora- 
tion is  set  down  by  the  future  historian. 

Eulogized  By  Supreme  Court. 

But  sweeter  than  praise  of  history  to  the 
l)articipants  is  the  judgment  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  which  laid  aside  its  dry,  judicial  manner 
to  warmly  jiraise  the  s])lendid  (piality  of  the 
work  done  by  the  lawyers,  of  which  a  large 
])art  was  done  by  ]\Ir.  Boys.  Says  the  court  in 
its  decision: 

"The  ease  has  been  fully  and  ably  present- 
ed by  distinguished  counsel.  The  briefs  and 
arguments  in  many  respects  might  well  serve 
as  models.  They  have  been  of  great  assistance 
in  the  investigation  of  the  complicated  matters 
involved  in  this  litigation.  Every  subject  ha?; 
been  so  exhaustively  ])resented  that  practically 
nothing  could  be  added,  and  yet  so  well  arrang- 
ed, indexed  and  condensed  that  no  unnecessary 
labor  was  re(|uired  to  understand  fully  the 
fjuestions  in  dispute." 

The  counsel  for  the  Illinois  Central  was  J. 
M.  Dickinson,  aftei'u'ards  called  into  the  presi- 
dent's cabinet  as  Secretary  of  Wai*.  Associa- 
ted with  Mr.  Boys  was  Attorney  General  Stead 
and  later  Major  John  H.  "Widmer  and  Judge  B. 
B.  Lincoln,  of  Ottawa,  who  equally  shared  with 
him  the  honors  of  tln^  victory. 

The  ap])lication  of  the  iirinciples  laid  down 
in  the  Supreme  Court  decision  is  still  in  pro- 
gress. ]\Ir.  Boys  is  still  special  counsel  for  the 
state,  and  ])robably  will  continue  until  the  ])rin- 
ciples  of  the  decision  are  translated  into  dol- 
lars which  the  railroad  must  ]iay. 

Partnership  With  Mr.  Reeves. 

In  1891  Mr.  Boys  formed  a  partnershij)  with 
Hon.  Walter  Reeves  under  the  name  of  Reeves 
&  Boys,  and  ])lied  the  laboring  oar  of  that  firm 
during  Mr.  Reeves'  public  career,  and  until  his 
death.  In  1905  he  was  appointed  first  assistant 
attorney  general  of  the  state,  and  later  \av;s 
made  chairman  of  the  Railroad  and  "WarehoTi-^e 
Cojnniission.     While  in  this     office     important 


THK   STOm     OK   STKi: AlOi; 


S5 


work  was  done  in  eiiiializiiiii;  and  reducing 
switcliiiifj;  lalf.-;  in  tlie  state,  and  in  the  eiiforfe- 
ment  of  separate  jifrade  crossings  wherever 
l)rafticahle.  After  two  years  of  service  tlie 
illness  of  liis  jiaitiicr.  Mr.  Hoys,  caused  liiin  to 
resign,  and  lie  returned  to  take  up  the  active 
work  of  tlie  (inn,  Avliicli  after  the  passing  of 
the  senior  i)artiier  was  cliangi'd  to  Boys,  Os- 
lioi-iie  aiKJ  (ii-iiii;>. 

An  "Ordinary"  Life. 
Asked  liy  tin    writer  for     >-niiie     significant 
facts  ahout    liis   life,    .Mr.    lioys   replied   laconi- 
cally, "It's  heen   hianieil  ordi?iary."  and   that 
speaks  not  only  for  his 
ahseiice       of      pretense, 
hut   for  the    alisencc    of 
the  ronuintic  or  the  ex 
traordinary   in    his    ca 
reer.     Horn    on    a  faiiii 
in  Marshall  ( 'ouiity     in 
ISfill,   he     moved     with 
his  folks  to  Streator  in 
1S71.       attended      high 
school   here,     and     alsn 
studied  at  IlcddiiiL;  <  'nl 
lege  at     Ahingdon.     I  Ic 
worked  at     telegraphy, 
read  law  with  .ludge  T. 
M.     Shaw,     of     hacuii. 
was    admitted     to     the 
har,  |)rac(iced    law     foi 
a  year  in  l\aii>as,  canic 
hack   to     Strejitor     and 
has     heen      here      ever 
>ince.     lie  has    shirked 
no  duty  as  a  citizen,  has 
home     the      hrunt      of 
many    a    hard    political 
hattle  as  a  leader  of  the 
repuhlican    workers    of 
the     county,      was     foi-  ncn.  i 

many    years    president 

of  the  high  school  hoaid  and  whether  in  law, 
p(ditics  or  citizenship,  has  always  heen  found 
where  the  hardest  working  or  lighting  was  to 
he  done. 


HON.  P.  J.  LUCEY. 


^fost  popular  among  the  democrats  who 
liave  heen  elected  niayor  of  Streator  is  Mr.  J*. 
J.  Lucey.  Not  only  is  this  indicated  hy  the  fact 
that  he  is  the  only  member  of  his  party  who 


has  been  elected  to  the  othce  of  mayor  three 
times;  but  it  is  further  attested  by  the  fact 
that  he  has  recently  heen  elected  at  the  pri- 
mary election  to  he  his  jjarty's  candidate  for 
attorney  general  of  the  state  of  Illinois. 

Popularity  is  nowliere  suh.jected  to  so  se- 
vere a  test  as  at  a  pi-inuiry  election.  In  a  gen- 
eral election  the  momentum  of  party  may 
carry  an  indifferent  candidate  through,  but  in 
a  i)rimary  election  whei'e  a  man  is  one  among 
many  to  submit  himself  to  the  judgment  of  his 
party,  he  must  stand  on  the  strength  of  his 
own     bare  and  naked     personality.       That     a 

young  man,  still  on  the 
sunny  side  of  forty, 
should  have  so  deeply 
impressed  his  fellow 
ilemocrats  all  over  the 
state  of  Illinois,  shows 
a  (|uality  that  is  cer 
taiiily  iiiai-ked  and  un- 
usual. In  the  midst  of 
a  hot  struggle,  wherein 
the  party  was  torn  with 
lierce  inward  <trife.  ,Mi-. 
Lucey  went  quietly 
about  tlie  business  of 
liis  candidacy,  identify- 
\Uix  himself  with  none 
III  the  warring  faction.s, 
i'ut  offering  himself 
-imply  on  his  merits  as 
a  man  and  a  lawyer; 
and  so,  without  the 
hacking  of  boss  or 
ili(|ue.  to  bear  off  the 
coveted  prize  with  ease 
is  the  nuuk  i.f  no  ordi- 
nary political  strength. 
Whether  he  will  oc- 
cupy the  office  of  attor- 
ley  genei"al  or  not  de- 
pends on  the  strength  of  his  party — and  in  Illi- 
nois it  will  need  another  land.slide  to  carry  it 
to  succes.s.  But  lie  has  already  received  a 
higher  endorsement  than  would  be  the  acci- 
dent of  an  election — the  endorsement  of  his 
party  as  its  standard  bearer  in  one  of  the  most 
promising,  yet  most  difficult,  campaigns  it  has 
made  in  the  state  of  Illinois. 

How  did  so  young  a  man  get  so  far  to  the 
front  in  Illinois  politics? 

First,  it  may  be  said,  he  started  liiiht.  That 
is,  he  started  poor.  He  started  without  friends 
and    without     rich     relatives     to  "pull"     or 


,1.   Lucey. 


86 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


"boost"  for  liim,  and  so  liis  native  strength 
got  a  chance  to  deveki])  in  liis  struggle  to 
make  a  pLace  for  liiniself. 

Next,  he  chose  the  right  ]ihicc  to  start.  He 
came  to  Streator  as  soon  as  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1895,  and  has  been  here  ever 
since.  He  did  his  tirst  few  years  of  starving 
with  phick  and  dignity,  gradually  worked  u])  a 
law  business,  and  now,  as  senior  meml)er  of 
the  firm  of  Lucey  &  Larkin,  has  one  of  tlie 
finest  law  practices  in  the  count}^ 

Early  in  his  struggling  days  he  was  lucky 
enough  to  find  two  members  of  the  dominant 
party  fighting  over  the  city  attorneyshi]).  IjU- 
cey,  with  alert  eye,  sized  up  the  situation,  hop- 
ped nimbly  into  the  ring,  and  took  it  away 
from  them.  The  people  liked  him  so  well,  they 
re-elected  him.  Then  they  got  the  Lucey  habit, 
and  in  1903  they  elected  him  mayor.  In  1905 
they  elected  him  again,  and  yet  again  in  1909. 

The  important  features  of  the  Lucey  admin- 
istration were  those  connected  with  public  im- 
provements. Great  imjietus  was  given  to 
street  paving,  and  the  splendid  system  of  brick 
roadways,  which  marks  Streator  above  other 
cities,  received  its  greatest  stimuhis  during  his 
terms  of  office.  The  fire  department  was  re- 
organized and  ijut  on  a  salaried  basis,  the  city 
hall  was  rebuilt,  and  a  new  bridge  erected 
across  the  A^ermillion  ri\'er — the  latter  not  only 
a  much-needed  improvement,  but  one  that  set- 
tled forever  an  old  controversy  that  had  rent 
the  town  for  many  years. 

By  this  time  Mr.  Lucey  was  one  of  the  tow- 
ering figures  on  the  local  horizon.  When  his 
])arty  wanted  some  one  to  run  for  the  state  sen- 
ate in  o])position  to  Corbus  P.  Gardner,  long 
recognized  head  of  the  rei)ublican  organization 
in  that  body,  they  chose  P.  J.  Lucey  of  Strea- 
tor. Though  Mr.  Gardner  had  the  power  of 
federal  patronage  behind  him,  it  is  claimed  by 
Mr.  Lucey 's  friends  that  he  fairly  won  the 
election.  The  face  of  the  returns  gave  the 
election  to  Gardner.  A  contest  was  instituted 
and  carried  to  the  senate,  which,  being  tlie 
.judge  of  its  own  members,  voted  to  seat  its 
leader,  ('.  P.  Gardner.  The  senatorial  contest 
was  lost,  biit  the  admirable  manner  in  which 
Mr.  Lucey  com])orted  liimself  no  doubt  went 
far  to  commend  him  to  his  |)arty  in  Illinois,  and 
to  earn  for  him  the  proud  eminence  he  now 
enjoys. 

Always  a  worker  for  the  city's  devek)])ment, 
Mr.  Lucey  has  ever  been  identified  with  every 
movement  for  its  upbuilding.     He  has  been  a 


member  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
Commercial  Club  since  its  organization,  and 
has  been  its  president  for  the  past  three  years, 
an  office  he  still  holds. 

Like  most  American  boys,  his  biographical 
data  can  be  given  in  a  paragraph.  Born  of 
plain  working  people  in  Ottawa,  111.,  in  1873,  in 
a  house  which  is  still  occupied  by  his  sister. 
Went  through  the  common  schools  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Ottawa  high  school  in 
1890.  Worked  in  a  dry  goods  store  in  La  Salle 
for  a  year,  then  went  to  Chicago  and  studied 
law  with  Duncan  &  Gill)ert.  Came  to  Streator 
in  1895;  city  attorney  1897  and  1901;  mayor 
1903,  1905,  1909;  prospective  attornev-general 
of  Illinois  1912.  He  is  now  39,  witii  30  good 
working  years  ahead  of  him.  With  his  start, 
where  ought  he  not  land? 


HON.  E.  M.  DAVIS. 


S])ecial  interest  attaches  to  the  adminis- 
tration of  E.  M.  Davis  from  the  fact  that  he  is 
the  only  candidate  of  the  distinctly  labor  ele- 
ment of  the  city  who  has  held  the  office  of 
mayor.  He  was  the  regidar  nominee  of  the  re- 
publican ]iarty,  it  is  true,  but  tliere  is  little 
doubt  that  Mr.  Davis  owed  his  nomination  to 
his  prominence  in  the  labor  wing  of  the  party. 
He  was  president  of  the  Trades  and  Labor 
Council  of  the  city  for  five  terms,  anil  was  so 
thoroughly  identified  with  labor  that  at  a  time 
when  it  was  thought  that  its  interests  required 
independent  political  action,  no  one  but  Mr. 
Davis  was  thought  of  as  its  leader.  In  view  of 
these  facts  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  char- 
acter of  administration  given  by  a  recognized 
labor  advocate  and  chieftain. 

The  first  surprise  is  that  it  was  distinctly 
a  business  administration. 

How  is  this  shown! 

First,  by  its  economy. 

Second,  by  its  efficient  financial  manage- 
ment. 

When  Mr.  Davis  entered  the  mayor's  office 
he  found  a  cash  balance  on  hand  of  about 
$4,000.  When  he  went  out  at  the  end  of  two 
years  he  left  a  l)alance  of  about  $1(),000.  It  is 
to  be  noted  that  there  was  no  skimping  of  the 
regular  approjiriations.  Streets,  sidewalks, 
sewers,  etc.,  received  the  same  as  under  any 
previous  administration,  and  in  addition  a 
handsome  brick  band  stand  and  public  comfort 


THK   STCIISV   Ol'   STKKXTOR. 


station  was  erected  in  tlio  park.  What  was 
tlie  secret  of  financial  success?  Mr.  Davis  at- 
tril)utes  it  to  a  r\^'u\  enforcement  of  collec- 
tions of  all  sources  of  revenue,  and  the  stop- 
])age  of  every  discoverable  leak.  He  s^ave  to 
the  affairs  of  the  city  more  of  his  enersv  and 
attention  than  he  did  to  his  own  contracting 
business,  and  applied  to  it  the  economies  of  a 
thorough-u-oinjr  industrial  inanasi'enient.  The 
political  leache.-  and  iiangcrs-on  coniiilained  of 
the  policy  of  money  savinii  as  somethino;  \in- 
heard  of  in  city  affairs,  hut  'Manley,"'  as  he 
is  familiarly  called,  went  on  quietlv  and  left 
iplC.OIKI  in  the  treasury. 

lie  now  confesses  to 
the  writer  for  the  first 
time  the  seci'et  motive 
of  his  parsimony.  He 
says  it  was  liis  pi'ixate 
and)ition  tt)  heal  the 
feud  between  the  par- 
ti ;ans  of  Main  and 
Hridire  Nfreet-  by  build- 
ing ii  bridge  at  both 
points.  The  latter  he 
would  build  out  of  oir- 
rent  i-evenues.  the  for 
mer  he  would  l)niid  tiie 
I'ity  for,  and  he  had 
jtositive  expeit  figures 
that  a  gooil  bridge 
could  ha\('  iieen  erect- 
ed for  .'fL'4.0t)(l.  And  so 
he  was  bent  on  saving 
the  city's  money  to 
carry  nut  his  idea. 
Looking  back  on  it  to 
day,  he  is  conlident 
that  it  could  have  been 
successfully  cairied  out. 

During  his  term  pub- 
lic gambling  was  rigid- 
ly sni)pressed,  and  the  saloons  were  I)ronght 
into  a  degree  of  orderliness  far  above  the  com- 
mon. Tiu'  Sunday  closing  jiractice  at  iiresent 
in  vogue  was  first  inaugurated  tluring  this  per- 
iod, and  the  mayor  had  a  signed  agreement, 
voluntarily  executed  by  the  saloonkeepers, 
l)ledging  thcmst-lves  to  each  other  and  to  the 
city  to  co-opei'ate  in  cci'tain  mutually  agree- 
able restrictions  and  restraints. 

K.  M.  Davis  was  born  in  Birmingliam,  Eng- 
land in  IS*;;!,  and  was  brought  up  to  the  trade 
of  gas  tube  worker.  He  came  to  America  in 
1882,  and    worked    at  his  trade    for  a  year  in 


Hon.  E.  .M.  Davis. 


Chicago,  and  then  came  to  Streator.  Here  he 
cut  loose  from  his  old  trade,  and  taking  his 
fortune  in  his  hands,  started  in  to  learn  a  new 
one.  He  learned  the  trade  of  general  mason, 
and  in  1S!)()  went  into  partnership  with  1).  L. 
Till  Unas.  With  the  leaving  of  his  i)artner  the 
bui-den  of  the  business  fell  on  him  ])er.soually, 
and  he  has  carried  it  ever  since.  He  is  now 
the  j)rincipal  nuison  contractor  in  the  city,  and 
has  erected  many  of  the  i)rincipal  buildings, 
sm-h  as  the  Public  Service  gas  jjlant,  the  Craw- 
ford power  house,  has  superintended  the  Ralph 
Plumb  .school,  and  now    is  doing    the    mason 

work  on  the   new   Slav 
isli      school       l)uikling, 
which  is  to    cost    about 
$50,000. 

In  addition  to  being 
for  five  tenus  president 
of  the  Trades  Council, 
he  has  been  delegate  to 
two  national  conven- 
tions of  the  A.  F.  of  L., 
and  in  nothing  is  his 
character  so  well  rep- 
resented as  in  the  fact 
that  as  an  emjiloye  of 
laboi',  he  has  so  well 
retained  the  contidence 
of  union  labor  as  to  be 
chosen  its  representa- 
tive. He  sened  several 
years  as  alderman, 
three  tenus  as  member 
of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, is  member  of  the 
Police  and  Fire  Com 
mission,  and  member  of 
the  Senatorial  Com- 
mittee. Tie  has  been 
ilirectoi'  of  the  (icrman 
Building  &  Loan  As- 
sociation for  seventeen  years  and  in  every  posi- 
tion held  has  measured  uj)  to  the  expectations 
of  his  associates. 


HON.  W.  W.  BEAN. 


W.  W.  Bean  has  the  distinction  of  being 
the  oidy  i-epublican  mayor  of  Streator  elected 
for  the  third  term.  He  is  the  present  incum- 
bent, and  was  elected  as  the  candidate  of  the 
republican  party  by  the  largest  majority   ever 


88 


THK  STORY  OP  STRKATOR. 


given  for  tlie  office  since  the  time  of  Col.  Plumb. 

His  first  tenn  was  dnriug  the  World's  Fair 
year,  1893.  The  chief  events  of  that  adminis- 
tration were  foundational.  Street  paving, 
which  had  been  begun  the  ])revious  year  under 
Mayor  Boys,  was  cleveloped  and  carried  out  to 
the' outskirts.  The  plank  sidewalks  which  had 
disfigured  Main  street,  were  discarded;  a  uni- 
form grade  was  established,  and  cement  walks 
laid  in  the  business  centre.  The  policy  encoun- 
tered oi)position,  but  experience  has  demon- 
strated its  economy  and  utility. 

It  was  in  1897  that  Mayor  Bean  stood  like 
a  rock  against  the  first 
concerted  effort  to  es- 
tablish organized  graft 
in  Streator,  and  igno- 
miniously  defeated  it. 
The  Lafayette  Bridge 
Company  sought  to  ob- 
tain a  contract  for 
building  a  bridge  across 
the  river  at  the  foot  of 
Main  street.  The  pro- 
ject was  hotly  contest- 
ed, the  mayor  and  sev- 
eral members  of  the 
council  being  opposed. 
The  bridge  company 
bribed  a  munber  of  al- 
dermen and  secured  a 
two-thirds  majority  of 
the  council.  The  con- 
tract was  awarded 
against  the  mayor 's 
protest,  and  the  com- 
pany built  the  bridge. 
When  the  bridge  bonds 
were  presented  to  the 
mayor  for  his  approval 
he  refused  to  affix  his 
signature  and  the  bonds 

could  not  be  sold.  They  threatened  to  man- 
damiis  him,  but  he  was  inflexible.  The  matter 
was  carried  into  the  Circuit  C'ourt,  and  the 
jury  disagreed.  It  was  tried  again  in  the  Uni- 
ted States  District  Court,  and  it  was  decided 
in  favor  of  the  city.  Some  of  the  purchased  al- 
dermen turned  states  evidence  and  Beeker. 
agent  of  the  bridge  company,  confessed  to 
bribery.  The  court  held  the  company  could 
not  recover  and  gave  them  six  months  to  re- 
move the  bridge,  and  failing  tiiat  it  should 
revert  to  the  city.  The  bridge  was  removed, 
but  the  Lafayette  Bridge  Company  could  not 


Hon.  W.   W.   Bean 


siirvive  the  shock,  and  ultimately     went     into 
bankru]jtcy. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  litigation,  in  recog- 
nition of  the  mayor's  sturdy  defense  of  the  city, 
a  large  number  of  citizens  jn-esented  him  with 
a  costly  gold  watch,  on  wliich  was  inscribed 
the  following: 

"Presented  to  W.  W.  Bean,  Nov.  6,  1901,  in 
appreciation  of  his  courage  and  honesty  dis- 
played W'liile  mayor  of  the  city." 

Mr.  Bean  usually  offends  some  interest 
while  in  office,  so  that  his  terms  of  office  are 
never  consecutive.  But  the  years  usually  vindi- 
cate him,  and  he  is  re- 
called to  office  after  an 
intei'val  of  rest.  His 
present  term  began  in 
1911,  and  he  has  an- 
other year  to  serve. 
The  important  ques- 
tions of  this  year  are 
the  renewal  of  the  con- 
tract for  street  lighting 
and  the  readjustment 
of  the  water  rates.  The 
former  has  been  settled 
to  the  satisfoction  of 
the  mayor,  and  the  lat- 
ter is  the  subject  of 
fierce  contention,  which 
mav  have  to  be  settled 
in  the  courts.  Mr.  Bean 
takes  pride  in  the  fi- 
^^^^^  nancial  showing  of  his 

jflH^H  administrations.  It  has 

/ 1 1  ii^n^a  -  i^^gj^  j^jg  policy  to  keep 

^^^  .  tJie  expenses  below  tlie 

revenues,  and  he  has  al- 
ways been  able  to  turn 
over  to  his  successor  a 
balance  on  the  right 
side  of  the  ledger. 
W.  W.  Bean  was  born  in  Lisbon,  New  York 
in  1845.  He  served  through  the  war,  was  mus- 
tered out  at  its  close,  returned  home  and  went 
to  school.  He  worked  as  a  printer  on  several 
papers  and  came  to  Sti'eator  in  1870.  After 
working  at  his  trade  for  three  or  four  years, 
he  bought  the  Streator  Monitor,  and  has  been 
its  editor  and  ju'()])i'ietor  ever  since.  A  con- 
sistent republican  in  politics,  he  was  elected 
town  clerk  for  fourteen  years,  was  supervisor 
for  seven  years,  and  a  member  of  the  County 
Boai'd  of  Review  for  two  terms,  and  has  also 
been  honored  by  state  positions  in  the  G.  A.  R. 


THK   STOKV   «»|-  STI{i:.\T(»IJ. 


89 


MARTS    OF   MERCHANDISE 


STORES,  BANKS   AND   WIDE  AWAKE     BUSINESS 

OF  STREATOR. 


OF    THE    CITY 


Iiiuiniiic  Stri'iitor  witlmiit    .M;iiii   Street. 

How  would  you  liUi'  to  li\"f  iu  a  town  witli- 
out  a  l)usin<>ss  ^cctiou  ? 

Ask  the  crowd  tliat  tliroiii;s  tlic  street  on 
Saturday  iiiyid.  It  is  a  rude,  jostliuii;.  uu-rry 
crowd.  How  it  C'u.joys  the  a;lai'e  of  tlie  electric 
lifi:lil.  Ilic  ^ilitteriuf;  sliop  windows,  the  tenipt- 
iuff  displays  spi'ead  alluriuiiiy  under  the  lijjht. 
The  f^ii'l  meets  her  lieau  on  .Main  sti('»'t.  iuid  to- 
{letlier  they  juirade  up  and  down  the  thonuiii;!!- 
fare,  slie  coyly  i^lancinir  at  the  luakinj^s  of  a 
trosseau,  he  inoic  l>oldl_\  lookiiif;:  at  the  price 
marks  on  the  Ikuisc  furnisliinir  noods.  The 
housewife,  intent  (Ui  har.i^ains,  passes  in  and  (Uit 
of  the  .stores,  keenly  alert  on  nuikin^  the  "old 
man's'  pay  sjo  as  far  as  possihle;  and  the  "old 
num"  himself  strolls  leisurely  alioul,  meeting; 
hi-;  cliiuns,  shakini::  liamN  with  old  friends,  and 
niakini,^  the  street  his  cluli,  his  fair,  his  place  <if 
relaxation.  .\iul  there  is  the  harein-scareni 
youth  who  is  out  for  a  time  Sjiturday  ni.ulit: 
how  he  wi'iuf.iiles  and  twists  throuirh  the 
thron;;  from  Pdoominntiui  to  Sterlinn'  >tivet.  up 
one  side  and  ihiwu  the  other,  havinu:  the  time 
of  liis  life;  now  into  Jodie's,  then  into  the 
Dawn  or  Dreandand.  then  slippinn  in  for  an 
ice  cream  soda — or  somethinii-  stroiiuci'.  Ah! 
Main  street  is  a  dream  of  delii^ht  for  younij 
America  of  both  sexes  on  Saturday  ni.ijht. 

A  stranfj:er  niii^dit  inuiijine  himself  in  Cos- 
inoiiolis.  Stand  on  the  corner  aiul  see  them 
}tass:  (ireeks,  Syrians,  .\rmenians,  Italians,  all 
the  dark  skins  of  Southern  Kuroj)e.  Then  the 
Slavs,  Bohemians,  Lithuanians.  I'oles,  the  nv^- 
i^fd  peoples  of  Kastei'u  Isurope;  and  the  fair- 
skiniu'd  Norse  and  Dane,  the  (ierman.  French, 
Bel^e;  the  ruddy  Saxon,  the  liery  Celt,  Irish, 
Welsh,  Seotch — all  passing  the  corner  on  Sat- 


urday ni.nht.  And  sprinkled  anion.y  them  the 
black  and  yellow  faces  of  the  negro,  with  an 
occasional  Mexican,  .lap  or  Chinaman. 

.Main  street  on  Saturday  nii>]itl  It  is  a 
World's  Fair  of  races  and  faces. 

But  we  should  hear  in  mind  that  tiiere 
would  he  no  Main  street  if  there  were  no  mer- 
chants. Not  oidy  would  we  lose  tlc^  biggest 
show  of  the  town,  but  we  woulil  lose  the  festal 
events  of  the  year,  the  Fourth  of  ,Tuly,  the 
Chautau(pui,  the  Races,  the  Fair,  the  Base  Ball 
Dark — for  which  .Main  street  furnishes  a  large 
share  of  tlie  sujipoil.  And  tliat  is  not  all,  for 
without  .Main  >ti-eet  the  town  would  lose  tlie 
nuiin  support  of  the  movements  that  pu-li  the 
town  forward  ami  hold  it  up,  the  Impro\-ement 
Associations,  Connnercial  Clubs,  its  charities, 
subscriptions  and  the  like. 

11'  tlu'  reign  of  the  mail  older  liouses  were 
complete,  there  would  be  no  .M;iin  >-treet.  and 
all  Streator  would  be  like  Hiverside. 

The  merchants  of  Streator  bring  goods 
from  the  four  (piai-ters  of  the  earth,  and  de- 
liver them  at  the  doors  of  the  consumer.  The 
commodities  nuiy  be  inspected  and  returned  if 
not  satisfactory.  They  ransack  the  world  for 
goods  that  will  exactly  lit  the  hscnl  demand;  vf 
ihey  miss  their  guess  they  lose  their  money. 
They  do  this  foi-  an  average  of  less  ihan  live 
cents  on  the  dollar.  .Many  have  failed,  and  the 
rich  ones  may  l)e  counted  on  the  lingci's  of  one 
liand. 

But  their  greatest  service  is  that  they  main- 
tain the  greatest  social  centre  the  town  pos- 
ses.ses,  and  are  the  main  support  of  the  forces 
and  movements  that  make  for  the  uj-building 
of  the  town.  Is  not  the  service  of  Main  sti'eet 
worth  preserving? 


D.  HEENAN  MERCANTILE  COMPANY 


Streator,  as  a  city  of  less  than  twciit\  tlious- 
and  peojile,  stands  separate  from  all  others  iu 


its  great  department  store,     owned     liud     con- 
structed liy  the  D.  Ileeuan  Afercantile  Company. 


90 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


Here  are  twentj'-two  departments  in  four  stor- 
ies, sheltered  under  one  roof,  the  foundation 
being  two  luindred  and  fifty  by  one  hundred 
and  forty  feet,  and  the  total  floor  space  aggre- 
gating more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  feet.  A  neigliboring  city  of  sometliing 
like  double  the  jiopulation  of  Streator.  ])ro- 
claims  it  has  a  department  store  larger  than 
any  other  city  in  the  state  of  Ilinois,  outside  of 
Chicago,  and  gives  the  floor  space  in  that  store 
as  sixty-five  thousand  scpiare  feet,  which  is  a 


more  in  the  mind  of  the  builder  tlian  the  Strea- 
tor of  today  when  the  enterprise  was  under- 
taken. 

It  was  realized  theu  that  a  city  .-^ituated  in 
the  heart  of  a  wonderfully  rich  agricultural 
district,  with  railroad  facilities  second  to  no 
innnici])ality  of  its  size  in  the  whole  country, 
Mith  its  central  location,  with  its  multiplying 
manufcvcturing  advantages  in  the  manufacture 
of  glass,  it  was  realized  then,  as  it  is  now,  that 
such  a  citv  nuist  eventuallv  become  one  of  the 


Heenan  Department  Store. 


trifle  over  half  the  size  of  tlie  Streator  estab- 
lishment. Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  this 
institution  may  be  had  when  one  realizes  that 
it  would  take  more  than  forty  stores  twenty- 
five  feet  wide  by  one  hundred  feet  deep  to 
equal  it  in  capacity. 

This  establishment  stands  as  a  monument  to 
the  enterprise,  genius  and  courage  of  D.  Hee- 
nan. who  planned  it,  as  well  as  to  his  wonderful 
faith  in  the  future  of  his  city,  for  thei-e  is  no 
denying    that  the    Streator  of    tomorrow    was 


great  commercial  centers  of  the  country. 

The  D.  Heenan  department  store  draws 
trade  to  Streator  from  a  circle  ninety  miles  in 
diameter,  and  its  annual  catalogues,  because  of 
the  bargains  and  oiii)nrtunities  therein  offered, 
find  wholesome  welcome  in  the  homes  of  this 
wide  expanse  of  territory  and  with  each  suc- 
ceeding year  as  its  literature  reaches  farther 
abroad,  its  trade  increases,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  one-half  of  the  story  is  not  yet  told. 

What  is  sold!    Of  what  does  this    immense 


THK  ST«)I{>    OK  STIM; ATOi;. 


91 


Stock,  rpjtresfiitiii^'  an  investment  in  tiie  neigh- 
borhood of  tliree  imndred  thousand  (Inllais. 
consist,  and  wliat  do  tlie  clerical  force,  sales- 
men and  salesladies  of  well  niirli  one  hundred 
and  Hf t\-  lind  to  do  .'  To  particularize  would 
take  paeres  in  this  hook,  just  for  the  names  of 
tliiniirs — the  store  is  a  city  unto  itself.  Just 
imagine  tweny-two  cDnijilete  estahlislitneiits  all 
engai^ed  in  and  carrying  different  lines,  and 
you  will  liave  some  idea  of  the  things  liehl  for 
sale  under  this  one  roof. 


Irniii  (he  [president  of  the  corporation  in  his 
glass  enclosure  in  tiie  executive  department, 
down  to  the  messenger  hoys.  The  motto  in  this 
great  store  is  "Ptease  the  Customer,"  and  no 
effort  is  sj)ared  to  accomplish  this  end.  p]very- 
one  who  enters  the  store  is  given  close  personal 
attention;  her  wants  are  aiitici))ated;  her 
wishes  are  intelligently  interpreted;  countless, 
almost  unohserval)le  little  arts  of  salesnuinship 
are  practiced  for  his  or  her  henefit.  Finally, 
there  is  truthful  representation,  and  this  man- 


Intf-rior  ot   Hetiian   l)(-i)artiiiciu   store,  Streot  Floor. 


The  sliow  windows  of  the  1).  lleenan  ^fer- 
cantile  Co.,  heing  of  good  height  and  exteiuling 
nearl\-  four  hundred  feet  on  two  streets,  ])re.sent 
a  dis]ilay  of  goods  in  (piality,  character,  variety. 
ari'aMgement  and  good  taste  (piite  equal  to  an>- 
tliing  to  he  found  in  the  largest  cities  of 
.\nu'rica. 

The  service  in  the  P.  Ileeiiiui  store  is  of  the 
kind  that   is  known  as  ]iar     excellence.  Kvery 
tiling  is  done  in  a  good  way.    Thi'ic  is  kindness, 
courtesy  and  discernment,    iJiimiptness,     neat- 
ness and  orderliness  evervwhere    and     hv    all. 


datory  re(iuirement  on  the  part  of  an  eflicient 
management  is  in  no  small  degree  resjjonsible 
for  the  vast  space  and  great  need  the  D.  Hee- 
nan  deiiartment  store  fills  in  Central   Illinois. 

Putting  it  in  a  (piick,  compreheiKiiiig  way, 
in  a  wav  that  will  stick  in  the  individual  con- 
.sciousne.ss,  let  it  be  said  that  the  1).  Heenan 
Store  is  the  biggest  and  best  thing  of  its  kind 
in  the  world  in  a  city  the  size  of  Streator,  and 
tliat  the  writer  knows  of  no  city  of  even  three 
or  four  times  the  size  of  Streator  with  so  large, 
varied  and  modernized  a  retail  establishment. 


&2 


THK  STOKY  OP  STRKATOR. 


STREATOR'S  INTERURBAN  RAILWAY  COMPANY 


A  valuable  asset  to  the  industrial  growth  of 
Streator  is  the  Chicago.  Ottawa  &  Peoria  Rail- 
waj',  which  is  jjart  of  the  great  system  of  iuter- 
urbaus  built  and  controlled  by  Congressman 
Wm.  B.  McKinley.  It  now  connects  Streator 
wth  the  beautiful  Illinois  Valley,  with  its  rich 
agricultural  and  mining  developments,  and 
whicli  will  ultimately  be  joined  to  the  Illinois 
Traction  System.  This  railroad  is  a  valuable 
asset  to  the  transportation  facilities  of  Strea- 
tor and  vicinity.  The  system  of  interurbans  of 
which  it  is- a  ])art  is  the  greatest  system  of  this 
kind  now  in  operation.  The  line  from  Streator 
runs  straight  to  Ottawa,  wliere  it  connects  for 


opportunities  of  suburban  residents. 

The  freight  service  given  by  the  ('.  0.  &  P. 
is  rapid  and  })rompt.  It  is  express  service  at 
freight  rates.  Goods  shi])i)ed  to  any  part  of 
the  line  one  day  being  delivered  the  next 
morning. 

Like  all  the  McKinley  propei-ties  the  C.  O. 
&  P.  is  modern  in  every  respect.  Its  roadbed 
compares  favorably  with  that  of  any  steam 
road.  Autonuitic  electric  block  signals  guard 
train  movements,  and  the  heavy  modern  equip- 
ment has  all  been  designed  with  a  view  to 
speed,  safety  and  comfort. 

This  road  is  a  valuable  asset  to  Streator  and 


.The  new  Steel  -Model   luteiurban  Passenger  Car. 


Joliet,  Seneca,  Morris,  Marseilles,  Peru,  La 
Salle,  Spring  Valley,  Ladd,  Bureau  and  Prince- 
ton, forming  a  system  of  110  miles,  which  ulti- 
mately will  be  connected  with  Chicago.  This 
road  furnishes  advantages  for  travel  far  su- 
perior to  the  steam  lines.  It  gives  a  vast  and 
frequent  convenient  service  for  business  pur- 
poses. For  pleasure  trips  the  road  is  unexcel- 
led. It  has  been  given  the  name  of  "Illini 
Trail"  and  runs  the  length  of  the  historic  val- 
ley of  the  Illinois.  The  scenic  grandeur  com- 
jjares  favorably  with  any  place  in  tl\e  country. 
By  means  of  the  interurban,  rural  districts  are 
brought  directly  in  touch  with  the  merchants 
of  the  cities,  giving  them  the  advantages  and 


its  further  development  will  be  watched  with 
great  interest  by  the  community,  because  with 
its  advantages  of  fast,  clean  jtassenger  service 
and  quick,  efficient  freight  deliveries  it  opens 
a  field  of  transportation  not  approached  by 
any  steam  road  entering  the  city.  The  follow- 
ing are  the  officers  of  the  railway: 

W.  B.  McKinlev,  jiresident,  Cham]>aign,  111.; 
H.  E.  Chubbuck,  V.  P.  Executive,  Peoria,  111.; 
F.  E.  Fisher,  General  Superintendent,  Joliet, 
111.-  A.  E.  Blackburn,  Traffic  Mana.ger,  Joliet, 
111.;  B.  W.  Arnold,  Supt.  of  Transportation, 
Ottawa,  111.;  W.  F.  Carr,  Engineer,  Maint.  of 
Wav,  Ottawa,  111.;  J.  O.  Tucker,  Opei-ating  En- 
gineer, Ottawa,  111.;  R.  C.  Taylor,  Supt.  of  Mo- 
tive Power,  Ottawa,  III. 


THK   STOKV   «»K  STUDATOi: 


93 


THE  STREATOR  DECORATING  COMPANY 


Ai'/aiii  Strcatni-  immv  cijiiin  the  lariic.-l  Inisi- 
ness  hduse  iii  the  state  outside  of  Cliieago— at 
least  none  surpass,  and  only  few  rival  it.  The 
Streator  Decoi-atinj;  ('tmi|iany  is  a  wliolesale 
and  retail  house  dealing  in"  wallpaper  and 
deeorators'  supplies.  TJiree  larjre  store  i-oouis 
are  devoted  to  its  liusiness.  and  its  1  lade  ex- 
teiuls  all  over  Illinois,  and  overflows  into  In- 
(liana,  Iowa  and  .Missouri.  Witliiu  a  radius  of 
fifty  miles  from  Streator  it  is  the  dominant  fac- 
tor in  decoi-ative  work.  Most  of  the  hiii-  work 
the  churches,  puhlic  building's  and  line  residen- 
ces, pa.'?s  throuffh  the  hands  of  the  artists  and 
arti.sans  of  the  Streator  Decoratinjj:  Company. 
The  nearer  cities,  such  as  Ottawa,  Kankakee 
and  ( 'hillicothe.  know  its  name  as  well  as  Stica- 
tor  people;  while  in  Sprin^'tield.  Hloominj,4on. 
Decatur,  Davenjtort  and  way  out  to  llannihal. 
^fo.,  its  name  and  fame  is  familiar.  Kveu 
where  it  does  not  contract  direct,  it  furnishes 
!  up|ilies  to  local  dealers,  and  with  them  it  fur- 
nishes Streator  iileas  and  Streator  artists  to  do 
the  work.  So  it  carries  the  influence  of  the  city 
to  a  considerahie  distance,  and,  incidentally. 
pive.s  emplo>nient  to  Streator  lalior  ecpial  to  a 
small  factor).  .\l  the  present  time  '.V2  jieojile 
are  em|)loyed.  and  tlic  pay  i-oll  is  ^I'.OOO  ]ier 
nu)ntli. 

It  specializes  in  line  interior  deiMirative 
[work  of  all  sorts,  whether  in  oil  or  distemjier, 
fre.seo  or  frioze  work.  It  maintain-  an  ex|iert 
service  in  wallpaiiers.  in  which  the  Juost  won- 
derful tiiumplis  of  modern  dt ative  art  have 

been  wroui^dit  in  the  jiast  ten  years.  |-5ein.ir 
asked  what  ohan^ics  in  taste  he  had  observed 
in  his  30  year.'?  exjjerience  in  Streator,  Presi- 
dent Ijovi'uy.  replied:  "The  chanires  have  been 
simply  revolutionary.  In  the  old  days  every- 
body wanted  bi^^:.  flashy  desiufus,  and  loud, 
showy  colors.  Now  nobody  will  have  them. 
They  want  rich,  fine,  (piiet  tones,  nmre  like 
hand  work.  The  better  the  taste  the  more  sub- 
dued tile  pattern.  And  they  want  it  more  sub- 
stantial. Scarcely  any  good  building  is  ])ut  u|i 
now  without  canvassing.  Well-to-do  jieople 
nowadays  are  willing  to  sjieud  money  for  house 
decoration.  Whereas  formerly  they  used  to 
think  ■^'yO  a  good  price  to  spend  on  a  room,  now 
they  think  nothing  of  spending  $\oO  or  $200. 
Kven  the  ]>oorest  houses  which  use.l  to  ]iay 
$."5.00  a  room  now  jiay  .^C.OO,  while  those  of  the 
middle  class  think  little     of  paving    $10.00  or 


$l.'il.(M).  Some  of  tiii.s,  of  course,  is  due  to  in- 
creased cost  of  labor  and  materials,  but  it  is 
nuu'li  more  unmistakably  due  to  an  imiirove- 
ment  in  taste.  This  has  been  helped  on  by  the 
remarkable  improvements  in  the  designs  of 
wallpapers.  By  the  discovery  of  the  aero- 
clironie  process — a  sort  of  air  brush — it  has  be- 
come jmssible  to  produce  walli)aper  with  al- 
most the  effects  of  freedom  and  originality  pro- 
duced by  good  hand  work.  Xo  one  need  suffer 
from  the  sfifT,  mechanical  patterns  of  the  old 
paper;  the  beautifully  blended,  si)ft,  rich  cloud- 
like  elTects  that  formerly  only  an  artist  could 
liaint,  ai-e  now,  thanks  to  the  new  process,  avail- 
able for  i)eoi)le  of  moderate  means." 

So  we  find  the  gospel  of  William  Morris 
permeating  the  lnunes  of  America,  and  the  day 
has  come  when  nuichine  ai't  has  ceased  to  be  a 
by  woi'd  and  rejjroaeh. 

In  this  w(u-k  the  leatler  in  Sticator  is  the 
Streator  Decorating  Company.  Through  its 
hands  jiass  periodically  most  of  the  homes  of 
the  city,  and  what  if  leaves  on  their  walls  rep- 
resents in  large  measure  its  contribution  to  the 
aesthetic  edm-ation  nf  the  people.  Louis  Lor- 
enz,  the  fiuinder  and  ) present  head  of  the  com- 
pany, received  his  training  in  the  most  thor 
ough  going  of  (Jerman  schools,  liorn  in  Plauen. 
Saxony,  in  ISfiO,  he  went  to  the  common  schools 
until  thirteen,  and  then  was  aiiprenticed  to  the 
decorator's  trade.  After  a  day  of  hard  work  at 
the  trade  he  used  to  have  to  put  two  to  three 
hours  each  eveiiins'-  pA  di-awing.  desi;;ning  and 
mastering  the  fechniipie  of  the  craft.  Before 
the  expiration  of  his  five  years  apprenticeship 
he  had  mastered  his  trade  so  well  that  his  boss 
gave  him  six  months  off  time  with  full  wages. 

Mr.  Lorenz  came  to  America  in  1880?  he 
worked  as  decorator  for  leading  Chicago  l^rms 
for  two  years,  by  whom  he  was  sent  to  various 
cities  in  charire  of  work.  Coming  thus  to 
Streator  in  1882,  he  liked  tlu'  place  and  settled 
down.  As  the.se  words  are  being  written  it  is 
just  thirty  years  to  the  day  since  Mr.  Lorenz 
landed  in  Streator,  and  he  is  justified  in  look- 
ing back  with  jiride  on  the  ui)building  of  a 
business  that  ranks  among  the  first  of  its  kind 
in  the  state,  outside  of  Chicago.  Associated 
with  him  in  the  business  are  his  two  sons, 
Frank  Lorenz,  treasurer;  Oscar  Lorenz,  secre- 
tary; Carl  Hagenson,  vice-president. 


94 


THK  STORY  OF  STRKATOR. 


THE  DAILY  INDEPENDENT-TIMES 


The  Iude])enclent-Times  begun  its  career  iu 
1885  as  tlie  Streator  Sunday  Independent.  It 
was  edited  by  Dr.  David  Le  Roy,  fatJier  of  tlie 
jn-eseiit  editor,  and  a  well  known  writer,  speaker 
and  jiublic  cJiaraeter  of  those  days.  Fred  Le 
Roy,  who  now  edits  the  paper,  was  type  setter 
and  office  force.     It  was  continued  a'<  a  weeklv 


finally  consolidated  under  the  name  of  the 
Streator  Inde])endeut-Tiines.  Meeks  Bros,  re- 
mained with  the  reorganized  jiaper  for  a  time, 
but  ultimately  withdi'ew,  leaving  the  Ije  Roy 
interests  in  control. 

In  1897  the  interest  of    Dr.     David  Le  Roy 
was  purchased  by  B.  S.  Barlow.     Fred  Tie  Roy 


First    Page   of    Independent-Times. 


for  two  years,  and  then  changed  to  a  morning 
daily.  While  the  Independent  was  pursuing  a 
vigorous  independent  democratic  policy,  there 
was  another  democratic  daily  in  the  town,  the 
Times,  edited  by  Meeks  Bros.  Four  daily  news- 
pai)ers  were  more  than  Streator  could  in'ofitably 
support,  and  the  two  democratic  papers  were 


continued  as  editor,  and  ^'irginia  Barlow  Le 
Roy  became  associate  editor.  From  that  time 
until  the  present  these  interests  have  continued 
in  control,  and  tlie  concern  has  enjoyed  a  per- 
iod of  iinbroken  jirosiierity.  The  circulation  of 
the  paper  has  increased  ten-fold,  the  advertise- 
ing  patronage  has  more  than  quadrupled,  new 


THK  STOItV  OK  STI{|;.\TO|{. 


95 


l)rcsse,s  ]iii()ty)ii-  iiiac-liines,  i4c.  have  been  add- 
ed iiHtil  the  jilant  now  has  a  first  class  imntinsr 
e<|ni|inient.  M'he  (inn  conducts  a  larue  station- 
ery .vtore.  carrying  all  sorts  of  statiouers'  sup- 
plies, books,  magazines,  novelties,     etc. 

The  most  inipoi'tant  extension  of  its  Inisi- 
ness,  however,  is  in  the  job  dejiartuK'nt,  wliich 
lias  develo])ed  tlie  six-cialty  of  printini?  elec 
tion  supplies  and  leiral  blanks,  which  it  sup- 
plies larjfely  to  law  lirnis  and  election  odicers 
in  the  stale  of  Illinois.  Its  salesmen  cover  ev- 
ery town  and  city  of  coiise(|nence  in  the  state, 
and  so  larije  has  the  volume  of  business  become 
that  the  Independent-Times  is  now  the  heav- 
iest patron     of  the  express  offices  in  the  city. 

The  <i:rowth  of  the  business  has  called  for 
increased  ollice  and  store  room  until  recently  it 
was  found  neces-^aiy  to  pun-ha-^e  tlie  brick 
bnildiiij,'  ;\\  K'.'!  K.  Main  -ticct.  It  will  be  re- 
built aiirl  carried  l)ack  to  the  alley,  iriviui;  a 
spac('  of  140x1.'.')  feet,  with  two  stories  and  base- 
ment, all  of  which  will  Ih'  occuiiie<l  with  the 
business  of  the  Independent  Times. 

The  editorial  policy  of  the  paper  is  )>rofj:res- 
.-ivc  and  democratic.  Mr.  Le  Hoy  is  a  forceful, 
fearless  and  Irenchanl  wiiter,  whose  ni<i:<j:ed 
sentences  never  f;'il  to  make  his  mcaniiiir  cleai' 
to  t!ie  ivader.  His  heaxiest  blows  are  stiuck  at 
privilege,  and  his  fon-eful  utterances  have  ha<l 
the  recounition  of  repro<l\iction  in  the  ('liica,i!:o 
ilailies  and  <lailies  tlironi;liont  the  stale. 

In  lino  Ii(>  was  chosen  state  central  commit- 
teeman by  his  i»arty,  and  was  re clecti'd  in  liH'J 
aftei'  a  severe  contol  under  the  new  direct  ))ro- 
mar\  law--a  mark  of  public  evfecm  rather  un- 
usual for  an  nnsp.-irini;,  hard  hitting'  newspaper 
man  who  has  nexcr  play<'d  politics  foi'  plac<'  or 
favor.  (As  his  conipan>'  is  one  of  the  |)ublish- 
ers  of  this  volume,  it  is  fair  to  stale  that  this 
personal  conunent  is  written  witlioiil  Mr.  Le 
Hity's  knowledge  or  consent.) 

His  wife,  Mrs.  \'ini;inia  1 -e  Koy,  is  co-editor 
witli  him  on  the  papei',  and  Iier  \'er-atih'  i)en 
touches  many  suli.jects  not  usually  covered  in  a 
local  dailv.  Society,  literature,  education,  art, 
social  ethics,  economics,  the  woma.n  movenu'iit, 
all  are  illumimiti'd  by  her  brilliant  pen.     She  is 


not  a  smatterer  on  these  subjects,  but  writes  as 
one  who  has  had  many  years  hard  study  under 
the  direction  of  the  best  masters  of  philosoi>liy, 
psychology,  economics  and  ethics  that  the  I'ni- 
versity  of  Chicago  possesses.  She  is  a  public 
lecturer  of  many  years  oxjierience,  of  unusual 
gift  as  a  public  speaker,  and  lias  appeared  at 
many  of  tlie  leading-  chautau(|uas  and  lyceums. 
She  is  also  a  contributor  to  the  leading  maga- 
zines. In  addition  to  her  editorial  work  she 
regularly  conducts  adult  classes  in  literature 
and  poetry  in  this  and  neiglil)oring  towns.  A 
daily  column  from  her  pen  is  one  of  the  feat- 
ures of  the  paper. 

The  citv  department  of  tlie  jiajier  is  looked 
after  by  Miss  Ethel  Head  and  Mr.  Michael 
K'eed,  two  writers  whose  talents  supplement 
each  other  admirably.  Mr.  Heed  is  one  of  the 
oldest,  most  eflicient  and  most  respected  work- 
ing newspaper  men  in  Streator,  and  Miss  Head 
adds  the  \ivacit\'  of  a  bright  pen.  an  r.lert  news 
instinct,  an  intelli.ijenl  mind,  and  a  pleasing 
!)ersonality  to  the  news  staff. 

Xot  so  opeidy  before  the  public,  but  a  ])il- 
lar  of  strength  to  the  paper  is  Mr.  (Jeorge  Stev- 
ens, eirculatiuir  manager,  throui,Hi  wiiose  able 
management  the  circulation  has  Ixen  r.iised  to 
and  kept  at  the  high  jjoint  at  which  it  now 
>tands. 

The  business  head  and  publi.-her  is  .Mr.  !!.  S. 
P>}'r'ow,  who  is  aNo  (he  father  of  the  associate 
editor,  Mrs.  Fred  Le  Hoy.  Mr.  Harlow  has  had 
a  long  life  of  substantial  business  exjierience, 
anrl  thounh  lie  came  into  the  newspaper  held 
late  in  life,  yet  he  brought  to  it  a  nuiture  judg- 
menl,  a  solid  financial  support,  and  a  mind 
traine<l  in  sound  business  nu'thods  that  has 
been  invaluable  to  the  enteriirise.  Though 
wisely  c(mserva(ive,  yet  he  has  always  been  a 
force  for  expansion  and  progress  in  (he  growth 
of  (he  paper.  His  mercantile  exi)erience  dates 
])a<k  to  ante-bellum  days,  when  with  the  Inger- 
solls,  Puterbaughs  and  others  lie  was  one  of 
the  youny;  busine  s  men  of  Peoria.  ( 'ol.  Inger- 
soll  olTi<'iated  as  best  man  at  Mr.  P)arlow's  wed- 
dini;.  Though  now  ])ast  75  years  of  age,  he  is 
still  full  of  vim  and  vigor,  and  takes  an  active 
interest  in  all  the  details  of  the  business. 


THE  DAILY  FREE  F^RESS 


The  free  Press  was  founded  in  Aui:ust,  1S7.">. 
by  Irving  Carrier.  After  the  first  edition  the 
])aper  was     ]iublislied  by     Carrier  and     W.  W. 


Hean.  In  ]^7A  fhey  were  succeeded  by  He  v. 
James  TI.  Clark,  who  in  a  few  months  rei-eived 
Walter  Ploge  as  ])artner.     After     six     months 


06 


THK  STORY  OF  STRKATOU. 


Re\-.  Clark  sold  his  interests  to  Mr.  Tloge,  who 
conducted  the  paper  alone  until  in  February  of 
1877  John  TV.  Fornof,  who  first  began  his  con- 
nection with  the  paper  in  Febniary.  1874,  in  the 
capacity  of  printer,  purchased  a  half  interest. 
Hoge  and  Fornof  continued  until  the  next  year 


forming  the  ])artnershiii  of  Van  Skiver  and 
Fornof,  which  existed  until  1!:)()5  when  the  Free 
Press  Company  was  organized.  In  1910  Mr. 
Fornof  acquired  all  the  interests  of  Mr.  Vnn 
Skiver,  who  retired  from  the  paijer. 

The  Free  Press  has  always  been  re]iublican 


:— ifDRFicorai 


CHicuo  voumi   Id  yu , 


»;^ 


H  free 


.IN'  i;*;     Wl-T" 


S?BI«SHtlD  MPtRi  «« 


I  LccAL  HAS  MnS  RiCIAnD  0  Lire  :       »e«i  fu*"»i «»« 


■  -■"■  WFlEWLfi 


Pr>««a  •**'■>  r»  ■(•MOg'i 


"-ifoeAMmiiist 


HM  HEHBEflOf  U.  E,  CHtlRUH 


"'^■M  irnn  C0UE6E  9kwm 

•    >t     •  *■«*'*   Wi«    M«*    ■•^M    **r-t       '  •  • 


miMmm 


,BAS[BALL  mm 

■\  m  ffilQM  ilEHI 


First  Page  of  Free  Press. 


when  l"(iriiiif  iiurcha:-ed  the  interests  of  Mr. 
Hoge.  In  1879  Mr.  Hoge  again  purchased  a 
pai'tnership,  and  the  fimi  remained  Foniof  and 
Hoo-e  until  1884.  In  July  of  that  year  Mr.  For- 
nof sold  liis  share  to  A.  R.  Van  Skivei-,  and  the 
next  month  purchased  the  share  of  Hoge,  thus 


excejit  during  the  ownership  of  Air.  Hoge, 
when  it  was  democratic.  The  issuance  of  the 
daily  paper  was  commenced  in  1880. 

The  officers  of  the  company  are:  John  \\. 
Fornof,  president;  John  R.  Foniof,  vice-presi- 
dent; John  L.  Perry,  secretary  and  treasurer. 


THE  STREATOR  MONITOR 


Was  founded  in  October,  1869,  by  Rutan 
Bros.  They  sold  in  a  few  months  to  B".  W. 
Dalton.    Under  this  management  it  was  issued 


for  a  few  months  as  a  semi-weekly.  This  prov- 
ing un]irofitable.  it  was  restored  to  its  weekly 
chai'acter.     March  13,  1874,  Mr.  Dalton  sold  to 


THK  ST(>I{V  OF  STRKATCm. 


97 


Saiiuu'l  I'luiiil),  wlio  in  turn  sold  it  to  W.  W.  a  six-column  folio.  The  ^lonitor  is  a  staunch 
Bean,  who  has  been  sole  proprietor  and  editor  i-epuhlican  i)aper.  The  Weekly  is  $1.00  a  year 
since.     May  1,  1SS2  Mr.  Bean     coinuienced  the       in  advance.    The  dailv  is  $3.60  a  vear  delivered 


iftrmtor  pniljj  Hloutor. 


M-KEATHS.    ILUSOW,   TtHKiUAV.    U&KLII  T.    Kill 


PKICK   r*n  CJtNT^ 


fOSS'SFC^lCl'Ill      i-^NS  SPURN  PtACE 


WOUND   UP   AND 


C*nf 


STOP 


Rt.lCHES  SOUTH  P01E7, 


■("«  TO  «e  ■*««. 


..-«'  Cm<  S 


..MUN  CALLS    ™:!:r.T.'::liLlilSK 
:'  FOR  MORE  IROOPS-^r'l-^;:;^:.',-'     BNELOTf 


AGAINSIP.CKIIOX 


t 


*0E   CHlti 


or  ouiH  «o«9'. 


First    Pago  of   Monitoi-. 


daily  issue,  the  wt-ekly  l>ein,ir  coiitiiiueil.  The 
latter  was  under  its  lirst  two  nianau:eMients  an 
eitrhl  colunm  t'olio.  Mr.  I?ean  made  it  a  six- 
column  (piarto.   its  present   size.     The  daily   is 


hy  carrier.  It  is  the  oldest  newsjjaper  in  8trea- 
tor  and  is  published  by  the  oldest  newspaper 
man,  and  has  acconlingly  deserved  its  success- 
ful position  of  today. 


A.  H.  ANDERSON'  PRINTING  COMPANY 


That  is  the  name  of  tlie  Company.  It  is  a 
corporation  ors^anized  under  the  law-  of  tlie 
state,  but  when  all  is  said,  .Mr.  A.  H.  Anderson, 
the  president,  manai^^er  and  vitalizini;-  force  of 
the  concern,  is  what  it  lepresent-.  Every 
business  is  the  shadow  of  some  man,  Kmerson 
says,  and  the  statement  fimls  (piick  and  force- 
ful apjilication  here. 

The  Anderson  Printiiiir  Company  began 
business  most  modestly,  l)ut  experience,  cover- 


lUii  tile  broadest  fields,  has  convinced  all  that 
the  institutions  with  luunble  bej-inninjrs,  when 
properly  manajjed,  are  the  ones  that  have  f?one 
on  to  that  )<ennanent  success  witli  whicli  strong 
men  like  to  see  tlieir  name<  linked. 

The  business  of  this  concern  has  never  re- 
ceived a  dieck.  That  was  because  the  man  at  its 
liead  took  but  one  chance,  (that  was  when  he 
started),  was  nuister  of  the  detail  -uxd  knew 
how  to  handle  men,  but     mainly,     l)ecau.se,  to 


98 


THE  STORY  OK  STRFATOR. 


start  with,  he  was  a  praetifal.  all-arDnnd  ])rin- 
ter,  who  brought  into  the  business;  a  knowledge 
that  enabled  him  to  shun  the  rough,  shallow 
places  where  so  many  craft  run  adrift. 

"Good  work  pays" — that  is  the  ino+'o  of 
the  Anderson  Printing  House.  It  is  i)ractically 
water-marked  into  every  ])iece  of  work  sent  out 


Chicago,  and  because  of  the  kind    of  work    he 
does,  that  territory  is  constantly  expanding. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  born  in    Capps,  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  ]8()4.  and  with  his  parents  came  to  II- 
inois  when  a  lad,  located  at  Braidwood,  where 
lie  attended  school  until  he  was  thirteen,  when 
lie  came  to  Streator  and  went  to    work     in  the 


ANDERSON 

PRINTING  Co. 


and  from  the  president  to  the  "devil"  it  lends 
character  to  all  workers  and  workmanshiii. 

"One  can't  sell  silk  at  the  ]irice  of  cotton 
and  he  can't  do  good  printing  on  fine  paper  at 
cheap  prices  and  continue  doing  it,"  ^Ir.  An- 
derson remarked,  and  added,  "We  please  our 
people  because  we  take  it  for  granted  they 
know  what  good  work  is  and  they  want  it." 

The  Anderson  Printing  House  is  spacious, 
high  posted,  well  ventilated,  adinii-ably  lighted 
and  located  in  the  heart  of  Streator 's  business 
district  on  ground  floors.  The  equipment  is 
complete,  including  as  it  does,  ruling  machines, 
well  selected  book  liindery  re(|nirements,  seven 
job  and  cylinder  presses,  a  judiciously  selected 
line  of  the  most  modern  type  faces  and  everA'- 
thing  else  that  is  necessary  in  a  well  regulated 
lu-inting  establishment  calculated  to  tni-n  out 
high  grade  work  and  lots  of  it. 

"Andy'  Anderson  has  made  a  success  of  job 
printing.  As  a  matter  of  fact  he  lias  grown 
faster  than  the  city  and  today  di-aws  trade  to 
his  sliO])  from  a  scope  of  territory  that  includes 


coal  mines.  At  twenty  he  left  mining  and  start- 
ed in  to  learn  the  jirinter's  trade.  After  serv- 
ing a  limited  apprenticeship  he  became  a  jour- 


A.  H.  Anderson. 


THi:  STOItV  OK  STIIKATOI!. 


99 


neymaii  jiiid  traveled  dvep  llie  state,  retuminji: 
to  Stii'ator  in  ISiH,  when  he  lauiielied  out  as  an 
independent  business  man. 

In  l!SM8  lie  inaiTie(l  Miss  Anna  Billinj^sly 
and  at  the  present  time  .Mrs.  ,\iiderson  is  a 
stockhohler  in  the  company,  is  one  of  its  direc- 
tors and  is  actinjj  secretary. 

Mr.  .\nderson's  ]iastime  is  jjolf,  and  he  lias 


no  hesitancy  in  sayinu'  that,  as  he  was  denied 
the  jileasures  of  boyhood  when  a  boy,  he  has 
his  eomiue:,  and  is  enjoyino:  a  little  of  it  now. 
TFe  insists  that  the  coile.<j-e  of  "llard  knocks" 
from  wliicli  he  i^fiiidnated,  must  June  some  com- 
liensation,  and  as  he  is,  by  descent,  a  Scotch- 
man, the  j-aine  is  his  by  double  claim. 


THE  UNION  NATIONAL  BANK 


The  I'nion  .Vational  liaiik  o|'  Slicioi,  Illi- 
nois, was  chartered  for  business  in  Auu:ust. 
1874,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $")(».(M)(t.  Five  years 
prior  to  that  date  Samuel  I'lumb  established 
the  Bank  of  Streator  as  a  j)rivHte  institution 
under  the  laws  of  the  state  and  he  continued  at 
the  head  of  the  concern  on  throui^h  l!ie  period 
of  reorjjanization  until  1SK2,  wlien  he  liied. 


follows: 

Svimuel  I'lumb.  W.  II.  I'ilcli..r.  M.  Craft.  K. 
Kvaiis.  A.  H.  Mtion.  W.  S.  (  herrv,  John  liar- 
Ion.  I,.  .\[.  Sawver.  A.  E.  Tvler,  J.Kirkpatrick, 
(I.  U.  Wheeler.  J.  W.  Barnhart,  R.  Scharfen- 
ber-  ,J.  Lomassnev,  .1.  II.  Curvea.  X.  WoltT.  T. 
.1.  Cotfey.  (;.  Fonlyce,  L.  Swift.  Alex  Fuller,  J. 
W.  Moon.  1'.  Richards,  Isaac  Ames,  .lay  Baker, 


.Many  who  are  active  in  Streator  now  and 
who  are  helpinii-  shape  its  destiny,  will  be  in 
terested  in  lookin-::  over  the  list  of  men  who 
constituted  the  stockholders  of  the  l^uiou  Na- 
tional Bank  when  it  was  founded  thirty-eisrht 
years  aijo  an<l  will  be  surprised  to  note  how  few 
of  those  who  were  so  alert  in  social  and  busi- 
ness activities  then,  arc  with  u>  now.     The  list 


Kicliar.l  llvan.-,  \V.  S.  lialo.  Mr.-.  ]■].  K.  High, 
F.  Plumb,  Isaac  Mason,  J.  S.  Smith,  Joel  T. 
Buckley,  Elijah  nefenbausih.  F.  Benckendorf, 
Geo.  L.  Richards.  ('.  E.  Stephens.  F.  ^f.  Ryon, 
Geo.  Miller,  Raljjh  Plumb  and  ('.  Wagoner. 

The  officers  of  the  bank  at  that  time  were 
Samuel  Plumb,  pi'esident;  Isaac  Ames,  vice- 
president;  and  G.  L.  Richards,  cashier. 


100 


THK   STORY  OF   STRKATOR. 


Ou  November  8,  1890,  the  capital  stock  of 
the  bank  was  increased  from  $50,000  to  $100,- 
000  and  the  following  condensed  report  to  tJie 
comptroller  of  currency,  shows  the  condition  of 
the  institution  at  the  close  of  business  February 
20,  1912. 


Flick,  ass't.  cashier. 

The  directors  are:  L.  H.  Plumb,  S.  W. 
Plumb,  C.  C.  Barr,  James  Sexton,  C.  H.  Wil- 
liams, M.  W.  Jack,  ^y.  11.  Boys,  G.  W.  Graham 
and  E.  H.  Bailey. 

The  bank  of  today  that  has  the  art  of  com- 


Interior  of  Union  National   Banlt. 


RESOURCES 

Loans  and  Discounts $  869,248.10 

U.  S.  and  other  bonds 291,640.00 

Cash  and  Due  from  Banks 429,199.34 

Due  from  U.  S.  Treasurer 5,000.00 

Banking-  House 45,062.39 

$1,640,149.89 
LIABILITIES 

Capital  ._.. $     100,000.00 

Surplus  and  Profits 313,255.81 

Circulation    100,000.00 

Deposits   ..     1,126,894.08 

$1,640,149.89 
The  officers  of  the  bank  at  the  present  time 
are  L.  H.  Plumb,  president;  S.  W.  Plumb,  vice- 
president;  E.  H.  Bailey,    cashier,    and    W.  C. 


bining  service  with  safety,  accommodation  with 
reliability,  is  the  bank,  the  real  future  t>f  which 
is  still  ahead;  the  bank  management  that 
knoMs  men  values  as  well  as  property  values, 
hov.-ever  great  its  present  may  be,  is  but  at  the 
beginning  of  its  career.  Such  are  the  Union 
National  Bank  and  the  jieople  at  its  head;  it 
and  they  have  been  identified  directly  or  indi- 
rectly with  the  city  of  Streator  from  its  begin- 
ning and  logically,  in  interest,  in  sympathy,  in 
fore  kiiowledge  and  in  puquise  this  bank  is  one 
with  the  city  in  all  things  that  make  for  the  de- 
velopment of  both. 

The  highest  comjiliment  that  can  be  paid 
those  who  are  gone  is  the  keeping  alive  and  in 
constant  force  the  principles  and  policies  and 
amenities  of  life,  for  which  they  stood. 

That  is  a  big  part  of  the  framework    upon 


THE  8TORV  OF  STRKATOR. 


101 


wliicli  the  I'liiiiri  Xational  so  tirmly  stamls — 
tlie  nifioiial,  farsceina;  plans  and  policies  of  the 
bank,  tliiity  years  and  more  af>:o,  wlien  Hanuiel 
Phiinl)  was  the  fifciiius  who  jruided  its  destinies, 
are  ilie  i)lans  and  policies  that  have  shaped  its 
developin;:;  course  thronfi:h  the  interveninir 
years  and  in  a  huxe  measure  have  won  tor  it 
the  proud  and  imi)ortant  i)osition  it  occupies 
in  the  city  today,  as  tlicy  are  the  plans  and  poli- 
cies that  ic<>\ern  it  now.  Thi-re  is  no  one  tliin.n' 
the  |)resent  inana;;einent  emphasizes  so  much  as 
"The  jmlicy  of  the  Union  Xational  is  the  same 
now  as  it  was  in  the  heuinninir,  and  it  will  so 
continue,  suhject,  of  course,  to  the  cluinncs  in 
law  and  evolution  in   linancial  alTair.-.  tliat   ai-e 


inexitable." 

In  a  few  weeks  the  bank  will  abandon  its 
temporary  (piarters  and  take  permanent  resi- 
dency in  the  l)eautifui  and  substantial  structure 
it  has  just  erected  on  the  corner  of  .Main  and 
Park  streets. 

To  attempt  a  description  of  its  new  liome 
would  take  more  s)iace  than  is  at  connnand — 
sudice  to  say  that  in  ln'auty  of  exterior  and  in- 
terior, permanency  of  const luct ion,  convenience 
in  arranji:enient,  elaborateness  in  a])pointment 
and  in  safety  to  de^msitors  there  is  notliinc;  of 
tlie  kind  in  Illinois  outside  of  Ciiicaiio,  that 
snr))asses  it.  and  outside  of  a  few  of  tiie  larger 
cities  notliinii  in  the  stati'  that  equals  it. 


THE  STREATOR  NATIONAL  BANK 


'i'his  baid<  is  less  an  in.-titution  tiian  a  per 
.sonality — or  a  group  of  jiersonalities.  Thirty 
years  of  service  has  not  chilled  the  warm.  )>er 
sona!  touch  imparted  to  it  by  its  t'ounder;  nor 
has  the  inevitable  frigidity  of  the  cash  ne.xus 
l)een  able  to  supplant  the  friiMidiy,  Inunan  con- 
nection established  by  liim  between  tiie  bank 
and  its  clients. 

It  was  stai-ted  by  one  who  was  perhaps  llie 
rarest  personality  that  Streator  has  known — 
Colonel  Ikalpli  I  Imnb.  founder  of  the  city. 
The  founder  has  passed  on,  but  in  no  oiu'  |)lace 
is  liis  inlluence  more  cherislicd  than  in  tiic  bank 
whicii  he  established.  That  a  bank  sliouhl  be 
.safe,  strong,  con.servative,  is  taken  for  granted; 
but  that  it  should  be  friendly,  helpful,  self-giv- 
ing in  its  spirit  and  serxice  is  not  so  conunon, 
and  it  was  tliis  (pialit>  tliat  the  founder  sought 
to  inculcate. 

Too  often  the  banker  is  regarded  as  a  soit 
of  supericM'  person,  to  whom  the  man  in  need  of 
money  must  come  as  one  suing  for  a  favor.  Aus- 
terity and  condescension  are  supi)osedly  the 
])roper  \ii-|\ies  of  the  num  who  passes  on  the 
•  piality  of  a  loan,  and  wiien  it  is  granted  the 
borrower  is  sometimes  nuide  to  feel  <i  sense  of 
obligation  whicli  rankles  in  after  years.  This 
bank  tries  to  negative  tliis  prevalent  conce]!- 
tion  of  the  attitude  of  the  banker.  It  makes  no 
loans  that  are  not  warranted  by  sound  baid<ing 
l)ractice;  but,  when  it  does,  it  tries  to  make  the 
borrower  feel  tiiat  the  obligation  is  mutual,  and 
that  he  has  done  tiie  bank  as  much  of  a  favor 
as  the  bank  has  done  for  him. 

Personality   can   only  act   tlirough   persons. 


and  if  tiie  spirit  of  tiie  founder  is  to  flow  on,  it 
must  be  thnuigh  the  peojile  wlio  follow,  him  in 
the  work.  Like  attracts  like,  and  ])erhaps  it 
was  this  principle  that  attracted  to  it  its  ])er- 
sonnel.  The  casiiiei',  Mr.  II.  W.  Lukins,  has 
lu'en  with  the  bank  nearly  from  its  beginning, 
and  its  larger  development  has  been  all  within 
his  a<lministratioii. 

Were  Streator  asked  to  present  a  name  for  a 
position  reijuiring  courte.sy,  integrity,  ability 
and  self-etTacing  kindness  and  .service,  the 
name  of  Harry  \V.  Lukins  would  s])ring  .s])on- 
taneously  to  many  lijis.  The  assistant  cashier. 
.Mr.  Louis  Xater,  has  also  been  with  the  bank 
for  years,  and  he,  too,  is  a  banker  jilus;  for  he 
it  is  who  speaks  with  the  immigrant  in  lii.s  na- 
tive ttmguc.  who  patiently  explains  to  him  tiie 
intricacies  of  strange  money,  and  helps  him 
over  the  hanl  i)laces.  The  .same  spirit  perme- 
ates the  whole  .service,  and  it  is  significant  of 
its  character  that  so  many  of  its  oIKicers  and 
workers  are  known  and  called  by  their  first 
names,  from  the  president  down.  W'iieii  the 
president  is  familiarly  called  "Fawcett,"  and 
the  cashier  is  called  "Harry,"  it  is  evident 
that  the  hauteur  and  cliilliness  sup|)o.sed  to  sur- 
round a  bank  does  not  obtain  here. 

Naturally  they  are  easy  to  do  business  with. 
The  same  ready  smile  and  glad  liand  greets  the 
small  as  well  as  the  large  dejiositor.  Perhai)s 
it  is  a  i)()or  working  woman  timidly  coming  to 
make  her  first  savings  deposit;  ])erhaps  a  har- 
ried business  man  looking  for  a  loan;  i)erhai)S 
a  frightened  foreigner  sending  his  lirsf  draft 
home  from  a  foreign  land.     Tliev  are  all  made 


102 


THK   STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


to  feel  at  ease,  aud  kindness  aud  .-ordiality 
greets  them  all. 

The  people  seem  to  like  it.  and  their  kindly 
feeling  has  caused  its  deposits  to  increase  tliir- 
ty-fold  since  it  began  business,  and  it  is  still 
growing. 

On  Feb.  28,  1907,  it  accepted  the  first  sav- 
ings account  on  which  interest  was  paid  in 
Streator.     Since     then     these     accounts     have 


Nater  assistant  cashier.  Additional  directors 
are  Mr.  D.  ('.  Murray,  Mr.  George  Goulding  and 
Mr.  Ermin  F.  Plumb.  The  capital  of  the  bank 
is  $100,(X)0,  and  surplus  aud  undivided  profits 
$75,000. 

The  bank  was  remodeled  and  reconstructed 
in  i;ni,  and  is  equipjied  with  modern,  up-to- 
date  banking  conveniences  for  the  service  of  its 
l)atrons.     Tt  invites  the  public  to  make  use  of 


Interior   of   Streator   National    Bank. 


Clark  Studio 


grown  to  large  proportions,  and  it  is  now  an 
important  deiiartment  of  the  bank.  Savings 
depositors  get  three  per  cent  interest,  ))lus  the 
habit  of  saving,  which  is  worth  ten  jier  cent. 

Among  its  officers  and  directors  are  some  of 
Streator's  most  familiar  names.  The  president, 
is  Fawcett  Plumb,  and  the  vice-president  is  J. 
E.  Williams.     H.  W.  Lukins  is  cashier,  Louis 


its  customer's  room  and  its  free  telephone 
booth.  Its  safety  deposit  vault  is  a  great  con- 
venience and  safety.  Private  locked  boxes  may 
be  obtained  at  a  moderate  charge.  All  forms 
of  banking  Imsiness  are  done  with  ])romiitness 
aud  courtesy,  and  the  experience  of  its  officers 
is  always  at  the  service  of  patrons  when  in  need 
of  friendlv  and  safe  financial  counsel. 


PEOPLE'S  TRUST  &  SAVING5  BANK 


Five  years  ago  on  the  fourteenth  of  May. 
the  People's  Tiaist  &  Savings  Bank  was  char- 
tered under  tlie  liiws  of  Illinois,  with  the  capi- 


talization of  .$100,000.00,  and  since  tliat  time 
this  newest  of  fiiumcial  concerns  has  progressed 
with  a  steady  and  rugged  growth  until  it  has 


THK  STOKV  OK  STKKATOK. 


103 


won  ii  place  in  the  eDulidenoe  and  business  af- 
t'cctiuus  of  tiic  people,  oC  which  it  may  be  justly 
proud. 

The  growth  ol'  tliis  baidv,  riniitiy  interjireted 
is  an  inspiration  to  liraiiis  and  courauc  Tliere 
is  a  wide  round  belief  that,  in  order  to  succeed 
in  the  bauKini,'^  business,  one  has  to  l)e  born  into 
it,  and  nnist  have  grown  up  througli  it,  but  Mr. 
Piiilip  Saunders,  who  was  most  active  in  the 
orfjanization  of  the  Peopled  'i'rnst  &  Siivinj^s 
Jiank.  who  was  mainly  responsible  lor  its  ex- 
istence, who  assumed  manffieineii'.  when  it  wa.s 
authorized  to  l)ef;:in  business,  and  wlc  has  con 


friends,  and  he  made  them;  he  had  opportunity 
to  perfect  an  intimate  valuation  of  men.  and 
he  took  advantaue  of  it;  he  realized  that  tliere 
was  an  urgent  demand  for  a  Savings  Institu- 
tion in  this  city,  and  when  he  had  his  plans  ma- 
tured he  consulted  capital  as  to  their  wisdom 
and  i)ractii'ability.  Those  others  saw  it  as  he 
did,  and  tiie  result  is  known. 

The  baidv  has  forty-eight  stockholders,  and 
they  are  .judic'iously  disti'ibuted  o\er  this  sec- 
tion of  Illinois,  and  tiic  same  plan  of  distribu- 
tion has  been  followed  in  the  selection  of  its  di- 
rectors and  the  placing  of  its  loans.     As  a  logi- 


Interior  of    Peo|)le's  Trust   and   Savings   Bank. 


Clark  Studio 


tinned  as  its  cashier  since.  ha>  demonstrated 
that  the  theorv  is  as  dead  as  "tiie  divine  right 
of  kings." 

If  additional  proof  of  this  point  be  neces- 
sary, all  one  has  to  do  is  to  looU  ;it  ih-  n:imes  of 
(".  A.  Ilepler,  (ieorge  Armstrong.  David  K. 
Huggans,  Josejili  Kopf.  Frank  Marx.  Walter 
Si.xt,  K.  J.  Howells,  W.  A.  .lohnson  and  other 
nuMi,  who  have  not  been  banker-,  who  are  now 
associated  with  .Mr.  Saunders  in  liie  direction 
and  managemi-nt  of  the  iiank. 

Prior  to  May,  liJOt),  Mr.  Saunders  was  busi- 
ness managei'  of  the  Ileenan  Dejiartment  Store. 
In  that  capacity  he  had  ojjpurtunity     to  make 


cal  sci|ueiice  the  nauu-  of  the  People's  Trust  iS: 
Savings  Bank  has  become  well  and  favorably 
known  and  its  reputation  for  safety,  reliability 
and  accommodation  has  become  w-ell  establish- 
ed. The  management  of  this  bank  would  lay 
stress  on  the  excellent  service  it  is  giving  as  a 
saving  institution.  This  was  the  primary  pur- 
)K)se  when  the  bank  was  organized,  and  in  con- 
formity with  its  basic  i)lan  it  was  the  first  bank 
in  Streator  to  announce  tliat  it  would  ])ay  in- 
terest on  tleposits.  Of  course,  every  other 
function  of  sound  banking  is  performed  by  the 
People's  Trust  &  Savings  Bank,  but  the  ori- 
ginal idea  of  establishing  a    bank    where    the 


104 


THE  STORY  OP  STREATOR. 


dimes  aud  dollars  will  all  be  cared  for  and 
where  they  will  command  interest,  has  never 
been  allowed  to  become  secondary,  and  to  this 
well  established  principle  of  sonnd  finance  and 
real  service  in  banking  the  management  feels 
that  its  popularity  in  no  small  degree  is  due. 

While  to  commence  with,  i)art  of  the  capital 
to  finance  tlie  enterprise  had  to  be  secured  out 
side  of  Streator,  La  Salle  County  and  touching 
territoiy,  today  practically  all  of  the  stock  is 
owned  by  people  living  and  liaving  tlieir  inter- 
ests within  Streator's  trading  territory. 

In  1911  the  bank  qualified  as  a  trust  institu- 
tion under  the  suj^ervision  of  the  State,  as  are 
the  Illinois  Trust  &  Savings  Bank  and  the  Mer- 
cantile Loan  &  Trast  Company  of  Chicago, 
and  like  them,  under  the  law,  it  is  qualified  to 


accept  receiverships,  assignments,  trusteeshi^js, 
and  guardianships. 

It  is  complimentary  to  the  bank  and  its 
management,  as  well  as  a  recognition  of  the 
strong  foothold  it  lias  gained,  to  say  that  it 
closed  its  fifth  year  of  activity  in  Streator  with 
dej)osits  running  over  lialf  a  million  dollars. 

The  i)resent  Board  of  Directors  are  C.  A. 
Hepler,  (reorge  Armstrong,  David  E.  Huggans, 
Joseph  Kopf,  R.  J.  Howells,  Frank  Marx,  Wil- 
liam H.  Jones,  Walter  Sext,  W.  A.  Johnston, 
H.  P.  Showman  and  Philip  Saunders. 

Its  oftieers  are  C.  A.  Hepler,  president; 
George  Armstrong  and  H.  P.  Showman,  vice- 
presidents;  Philip  Saunders,  cashier  and  trust 
officer;  W.  H.  Jones,  assistant  cashier. 


DORRIS  &  COMPANY 


This  records  a  ithenomenal  success. 
Here  are  three  big  Main  street  stores  in  one 
line  of  business,  and  each  of  them  doing  a  big- 
trade.  All  of  it  has  been  built  up  in  seven 
years,  aud  just  now  they  have  added  a  $15,000 
factory  building  for  their  ice  cream  trade,  and 
are  ex])aiiding  into  the  wholesale  business. 


No,  we  don't  learn  it  in  Greece.  In  fact, 
there  is  but  little  of  it  used  there.  The  way  we 
get  into  it  is  because  when  we  come  here  we 
find  some  of  our  countrymen  in  it,  and  we  go  to 
work  for  them,  perhaps,  and  get  started  in  that 
line." 

P)ut  how  do  vou  make  such  a  success  of  itf" 


What  is  the  secret  of  it  ? 

Have  the  Greeks  got  some  peculiar  racial 
affinity  for  the  ice  cream  and  confectionery 
trade  that  enables  them  to  monopolize  it? 

The  writer  asked  Manager  George  Dorris 
the  question,  and  he  replied: 


Clark  Studio 

''We  work  hard;  we  put  in  long  hours;  we 
sell  honest  goods.  We  try  to  be  neat,  clean  and 
attractive.  Above  all,  we  put  brains  into  our 
work.  We  are  all  the  time  looking  for  new 
ideas,  new  names,  new  concoctions  to  please 
our  customers.    Then  we  are  careful;  we  waste 


THK  STORV  OF  STKKATOK. 


105 


nothing;  we  in<^i\n\ze  our  Imsiness  and  work  to 
a  svsteni.  Ami  tliaCs  all  the  nivstei-v  tliero  is 
to  it." 

The  Dorris  ('(tniiiaiiy  lias  ai)i)lied  the  meth- 
ods of  "bi.1.'  business'  to  the  ice  cream  trade. 
Foniierly  it  was  rej^arded  as  a  sort  of  i)icayune, 
jteamit  stand  husiness,  in  whicli  some  cripple 
or  widciw  el<c(|  out  a  precarious  livelihood. 
With  l)iii:,  t'ar-seeiufi:  vision  the  Tiew-coniers 
could  .see  in  it  the  j)ossil)ilities  of  raisinji;  it  to 
the  ]ilane  of  a  suhstantial  uicrcaiitil''  concern, 
as  im|M>rtaiit  and  diniiiliccl  as  a  nioccry  or  dry 
floods  house.  Tiiey  (•ulli\at<'d  tlie  husiness 
scientitically,  and  huilt  up  their  trade  less  by 
takinj;  away  from  their  competitors  than  l)y  in- 
creasing the  demand  for  the  goods.  They  cre- 
ated ill!  ice  cream  habit  in  thi-  town,  and  caused 
four  dishes  to  be  fonsumed  wlit-rt'  tiiere  was 
only  one  i)efore.  When  they  begun  business 
liere  there  was  no  demand  for  ice  cream  in  the 
winter.  Last  year  they  sold  as  much  in  the 
winter  as  they  did  in  former  years  in  tlie  sum- 
mer.    This  illustratrs  the  Dorris  metiiods  and 


gives  a  liint  of  the  reasons  for  their  success. 

They  have  been  in  the  wholesale  business 
three  years.  The  first  year  they  sold  'J,000  gal- 
lons, the  second  year  (i.OOO  gallons,  and  last 
year  17,000  gallons.  And  .so  they  have  built 
a  new  factory  with  the  most  up-to-date  ma- 
chinery and  e(iuii)ment  with  a  cai)acity  of 
1,500  galhuis  every  10  lumrs.  They  ship  for  a 
radius  of  fjO  miles  to  such  towns  as  Dwight, 
Toluca,  Roanoke,  (iranville,  Washburn,  etc. 
Althougli  competing  with  factories  at  Pontiac 
and  La  Salle  tliat  have  been  establislied  2.i  or 
30  years,  they  arc  making  a  steady  inro.id  on 
the  trade,  and  once  they  get  a  custcuner  tliey 
keep  him.  The  reason  is  obvious.  Their  goods 
arc  honest.  They  use  real  cream.  Whereas 
the  govcrnnu'ut  calls  f(U'  !•  i)er  cent  liutter  fat, 
the  Dorris  cream  averages  Ki  per  cent  butter 
fat.  Dealers  are  willing  to  ])ay  nu)re  for  these 
goods,  the  demand  is  increasing  by  leai)s  and 
bouinis,  and  the  Dorris  ice  cream  factory  prom- 
ises to  be  one  of  the  most  prosperous  institu- 
tions of  the  town. 


THE  W.  C.  HILL  FLORAL  COMPANY 


It  has  been  said  elsewhere  in  this  volume 
that  Streator  is  le.ss  noted  for  beauty  than  for 
utility.  In  the  early  mining  days  of  the  town 
this  was  especially  true,  and  it  retpiircd  a  pio- 
neer spirit,  no  les^  than  a  faith  in  the  gospel  of 
beauty,  to  plant  a  floral  establishment  lieic. 
Mut  W.  ('.  Hill  was  just  such  a  pioneer,  a  nuin 
of  earnest  soul,  of  sterling  character  and  of  a 
love  of  flowers  that  was  i)art  of  his  simple  and 
sincen'  nature.  His  faith  in  human  love  of 
Howers  has  been  justified  by  results,  for  iiuman 
nature  in  Streator  is  not  different  from  other 
l)laces,  and  today  a  sidendid  Horal  establish 
nu'ut,  doing  a  good  \olinnc  of  liusincss,  stamls 
as  a  moimmeiit  to  the  simjile  faith  of  W.  ('. 
Hill.  Mr.  Hill  has  passed  on,  but  his  innuortal- 
ity  is  a  beautiful  one,  for  his  sjjirit  lives  on  in 
tlie  flowers,  and  is  given  out  in  the  aroma  and 
fragrance  that  is  wafted  out  to  sweeten  the 
dry  and  dusty  days,  to  comfort  hearts  that 
mourn,  to  gladden  the  eyes  of  the  sick,  to 
quicken  the  pulses  of  lovers,  and  to  hi  ing  joy  to 
young  ami  old  at  feasts,  and  weddings  and 
festivals.  Xo  liner  memorial  could  a  man  leave 
behind  him  than  these  tender,  fragile,  delicate 
symbols  of  a  .sentiment  that  is  at  once  i>eri.sli- 
iiig,  yet  more  inunortal  than  tablets  of  bronze; 
aiul  the  spirit  of  W.  ('.  Hill  umst  rejoice  as  he 


looks  on  the  work  of  his  hands  and  piononnces 
it  good.  And  the  writer  takes  reverent  ))leas- 
ure  in  stepping  out  of  his  character  as  editor 
to  offer  this  little  wreath  of  a])preciation  as 
friend  to  him  and  the  noble  companion  of  his 
labors  who  sui"\i\es  him. 

.\Ir.  Hill  begun  the  floral  business  in  a  small 
way  on  Smith  Park  street  in  1884.  Si.xteen 
years  later  he  Ijought  land  and  erected  the 
green  houses  on  the  west  side,  where  the  plant 
is  now  conducted.  The  business  was  incoi-por- 
ated  in  1!»04.  Al)out  a  year  before  Mr.  Hill's 
death  he  was  joined  by  Mr.  F.  R.  Thornton,  of 
(Jalesburg,  III.,  who  later  bought  in  the  com- 
]iany  and  is  now  its  numager.  Mr.  Thornton 
is  a  man  of  the  same  s])irit  as  Mr.  Hill,  but  is 
in  addition  a  technician  of  wide  horticultural 
experience  and  knowledge.  He  adds  to  Mr. 
Hill's  enthusiasm  for  flowers  a  scientific  train- 
ing and  expert  skill,  which  enables  him  to  be 
an  originator  of  rare  varieties.  He  sj^ecializes 
in  carnations,  and  one  of  his  creations  uaraed 
"Melody,"  was  given  first  i)rize  at  the  florist's 
exposition  of  the  Chicago  Horticultural  So- 
ciety. The  fame  of  that  blossom  caused  a  de- 
mand for  it  across  the  Atlantic,  and  orders 
came  from  England.  A  variegated  carnation  of 
his  breeding  named  after  Mrs.  Fawcett  Plumb, 


% 


106 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


of  this  city,  was  exhibited  at  Cliicago  nnd  at 
the  State  Florists'  Exhibition  at  Springfield. 
It  attracted  much  favorable  comment.  The 
chief  creation  of  this  year  is  a  purple  carnation 
named  "Purple  Beauty,"  which  is  sure  to  win 
the  favor  of  tiower  lovers.  Not  only  carna- 
tions, but  roses,  lilies,  sweet  peas,  chrysanthe- 
)nums,  all  tlie    favorite    beauties    beloved     by 


many  years  had  charge  of  the  store  in  Strea- 
tor,  and  is  pleasantly  known  to  eveiy  lover  of 
flowers  for  miles  around.  Her  mastery  of  the 
distributing  side  combined  with  Mr.  Thorn- 
ton's command  of  the  producing  have  make  the 
business  grow  greatly.  It  has  doubled  in  five 
years,  as  also  has  tlie  producing  space.  Tliey 
now  liave  20,000  s(]uare  feet  under  glass,  being 


Hill    Floral   Co.    Plant. 


flower  users  are  grown,  and  tlieir  quality  under 
the  skillful  tendance  of  Mr.  Thornton,  has  risen 
to  a  grade  much  higlier  than  usually  found  in 
cities  twice  the  size  of  Streator. 

Miss  Clara  Sherman  is  ai^  equal  jiartner  in 
the  business  with  Mr.  TJiorntou.    She    has  for 


a  fourtii  larger  than  usual  for  plants  in  towns 
the  size  of  Streator.  This  indicates  the  trans- 
formation that  has  taken  place  in  the  town, 
which  has  become  a  place  where  no  function, 
festival  or  ceremony  is  complete  witliout  floral 
beautv. 


CLOVERDALE  FARM  AND  DAIRY 


There  is  no  item  of  food  that  has  received 
more  public  attention  in  recent  years  than 
milk.  The  largest  producer  of  milk  for  Strea- 
tor consumption  i'^  the  Cloverdale  Daily,  owned 
by  Mr.  A.  J.  Daugherty.  It  produces  200  gal- 
lons of  milk  daily.  None  is  shipped  away,  but 
it  is  used  in  the  leading  hotels,  restaurants  and 
homes  of  Streator. 

The  milk  sold  by  Mr.  Daugherty  is  taken  di- 
rectly from  his  own  herd  of  75  pure  bred  Hol- 


stein-Friesan  cows.  The  milk  from  Holstein 
cattle  is  said  by  physicians  and  experts  to  be 
i-emarkable  for  its  stimulating  and  nourishing- 
qualities,  and  its  freedom  from  disease.  Great 
care  is  exercised  by  the  Cloverdale  Dairy  in  its 
treatment  of  the  product.  Barns  are  wliite- 
washed  twice  annually,  cows  are  rigidly  in- 
spected, and  isolated  at  once  if  shown  to  be 
touclu'd  witli  taint. 

The  feed  for  the  cattle  is  home  grown  on  the 


THK  STOKV  OF  STKKATOH. 


107 


C'loverdale  tana  of  'SH7  acres.  Fine  jiastures 
ahouiKi,  water  flowiiiy;  from  living  springs  is 
pifntiful.  and  all  tlic  conditions  needfnl  for  the 
Miainlciiancc  of  licaltliy  cattle  arc  |ii-('scut.  The 
winter  feed  is  raised  on  the  farm.  Tliree  crojts 
a  year  of  alfalfa  are  rai.sed  and  an  aluindance  of 
corn  silage,  wiiicli  is  stoi-ed  in  two  sihrs  liolding 
500  tons  of  fodder. 

Among  the  mo\'emeiits  of  tlie  past  (piarter 
of  a  centnry  none  have  done  mure  to  erect 
fanning  to  the  dignity  of  a  science  than  those 
dirc<'tcd  to  improNJnt;-  the  uiialitv  of  the  stock. 


One  of  the  best  prt)dncers  is  Pieterje  Lass  Aag- 
gie  Netherland  I'd,  and  she  has  an  official  re- 
cord of  20.1  (i.j  pounds  of  milk  in  a  year  and  660 
])onnds  of  hutterfat,  ecpial  to  8"J5  pounds  of 
i)utter.  Wlien  it  is  remend)ered  that  a  few 
years  ago  10,000  pounds  of  milk  in  a  year  was 
thought  a  wonderful  record,  the  above  figures 
will  give  some  idea  of  the  remarkable  advance 
made  in  stock  bleeding  anil  milk  production. 

The  t'loverdale  Herd  has  a  wide  reputation 
all  over  the  United  States  and  Canada.  Strea- 
t(U-'-  Ilolstein  stock  mav  be  found     in     neai'lv 


It  is  •_'."]  years  since  Mr.  Daugherty  first  gave 
his  attention  to  this  important  .-iubject.  At 
that  time  he  had  a  henl  of  common  mixed  cows 
and  l>y  careful  attention  In  -election  in  l)rei'd 
ing  lie  has  completely  tran>forme(l  the  held.  He 
has  now  ?.")  head  of  pure  lired  regislereil  llnl 
stein-Friesian  cows.  Kvery  animal  is  oflicially 
tested  for  milk  and  liutter.  The  average  yield 
of  '.W  of  these  cows  for  one  year  was  15,76;{ 
poiimls  of  milk,  and  .")"J0  pounds  of  butter  fat. 
This  is  eciual  to  nearly  (!.')('  pounds  nf  butter 
])er  cow,  not   far  from  two     pnuiid>     per  day. 


evei'y  state  in  the  union,  and  the  deiiKiiul  is 
constantly  on  the  increase.  Farmers  and  dairy- 
men are  finding  out  that  it  iiays  no  more  to  own 
pour  stock  than  poor  tools,  and  so  it  is  that  Mr. 
Daiigherty's  i)ii>iness  is  growing  more  and 
more  in  the  direction  of  breeding  each  year. 
With  a  herd  containing  loO  members  A.  K.  O. 
cows  and  their  descendents,  and  with  23  years 
of  personal  experience  with  one  highly  selected 
herd  iiehiml  him.  -Mr.  Daugheity  occupies  a  ))o- 
-iition  in  the  forefront  of  the  breeders  of  the 
country,  and  is  able  to  sjieak  with  authority. 


WOULF  BROS.  STOCK  FARM 


Streator  is  suirounded  by  one  of  the  rich- 
est agricultural  regions  on  earth,  and  in  no  dis- 
trict has  there  been  greater  jirogress  in  the 
jiast  (piarter  century,  l-^sjiecially  is  this  true 
in  the  culture  of  pure  breeds  of  draft  horses, 
which  has  been  raised  to  a  remarkable  degree 
of  perfection.  The  countries  of  the  old  world 
have  been  ransacked  for  the  finest  si)eciniens  of 
their  jmrest  breeds,  and  there  is  today  on  the 
stock  fann  of  Tliomas  and  .James  Woulf,  near 
Streator,   the   champion   Percheron   stallion   of 


the  world.  Major  D'Hoorebeke,  205(i  (24898), 
winner  of  first  prizes  in  Europe  and  America 
that  entitled  hijn  to  the  ]mnu\  distinction  of 
being  the  superlative  horse  of  his  class  in  the 
world. 

The  brothers  came  on  the  Woulf  farm  in  in- 
fancy, and  have  grown  up  in  the  business  of 
horsl-  breeding.  'I'heir  splendid  barn  is  equip- 
]ied  especially  for  horse  raising,  and  is  fitted 
M-ith  modern  conveniences.  They  make  regu- 
lar visits  to  France  and  Belgium     and     make 


108 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


four  importations  yearly,  bringing  over  i^ure 
bred  Pereheron  and  Belgium  .stallions  and 
mares,  and  dealing  in  nothing  but  the  best 
these  countries  produce.  Their  horse  sales  ex- 
tend from  Atlantic  to  Pacific,  and  in  the  year 
1910  they  bought  and  sold  more  horses  and 
mares  than  any  other  tinn  in  the  state. 

Des])ite  the  introduction  of  motor  vehicles 
the  value  of  pure  bred  horse  flesh  was  never 
as  high  as  now  and  the  Woulf  brothers  are  en- 
thusiastic believers  in  the  future  of  the  Per- 
eheron and  Belgian  hor-ses.    The  long  scientific 


to  $1,200  for  mares.  Weights  of  horses  at  head 
of  stud  range  from  2,200  to  2,400  pounds.  A 
seven-months  old  colt  has  weighed  1.120 
l)ounds.  Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the 
horse  business  can  be  had  when  it  is  known 
that  the  sales  range  from  $20,000  to  $50,000 
per  year.  Sales  are  always  to  the  highest  bid- 
ders, and  are  made  without  reserve. 

Both  brothers  live  on  the  old  home  farm, 
where  they  continue  with  tJie  labors  of  their 
hands,  in  the  field  and  around  the  bam,  much 
as  they  did  when  poor  boys.      Thev    mav    be 


Major  D'Hoorebeke,  I'udt;    (24.S9S.)  Champion   of  the   world. 


breeding  in  the  Old  World  has  produced  syste- 
matically develoi)ed  types  of  animal  beauty, 
nobility,  intelligence,  symmetry,  size  and 
strength  that  is  unecjualled  for  draft  jnirposes. 
The  infusion  of  this  strong  and  virile  blood  is 
making  a  wonderful  improvement  in  American 
stock.  They  have  now  75  pure  bred  horses  and 
mares  on  the  farm,  and  the  value  of  the  best 
horses  ranges  from  $1,000  to  $5,000.  The  actual 
prices  obtained  at  their  semi-annual  sales  range 
from  $1,000  to  $2,800  for  horses,  and  from  $600 


found  at  home  any  time  except  when  across  the 
water  buying  blooded  horses  or  ti'aveling 
around  tlie  neighborhood  with  their  jirize  stal- 
lions, and  tliey  are  always  ready  to  welcome 
friend  or  stranger,  especially  if  he  is  interested 
in  the  noblest  animal  in  the  world — which  they 
think  is  the  pure  bred  draft  horse.  A  letter 
will  reach  them  via  Rural  Route  Xo.  8,  Streator. 
Phone,  eiflier  Farmers'  or  Independent  Central 
at  Ransom,  111. 


THE  HARVEY  DRAY  &  TRANSFER  COMPANY 


It  was  a  good  deal  like  "sending  coals  to 
Newcastle,"  but  this  firm  was  the  first  that  saw 
the  ()})portunity  fliaf  lay  in  opening  a  coal  yard 
in  Streator  for  the  sale  of  foreign  coals.  The 
Streator  product  is  essentially  a  steam  coal, 
and  there  was  as  a  quality  in  Southern  coal  for 
domestic  purposes  that  made  it  desirable.  With 
keen  foresight  and  enterprise  the  Ilarveys  saw 
that  an  opening  could  be  made  here  for  a  local 


yard,  and  with  characteristic  courage  they 
backed  their  jiulgmenf  with  their  money  and 
built  a  place  for  the  housing  of  their  business. 
The  result  has  justified  their  venture.  Last 
year  they  sold  5,000  tons,  and  next  year  they 
expect  to  double  it,  and  are  ])lanning  the  erec- 
tion of  chutes  to  facilitate  liandling.  Two  ad- 
vantages have  accrued  to  the  public  from  their 
enteri)i*ise.     First,  the  incoming     of     Southern 


I'm-;  STOKV  OF  sthkatok. 


1 11 9 


coal  lias  served  to  roirulate  the  liouie  price  of 
the  local  jinxiuct;  and  second,  tiie  ]»resence  of 
the  local  sii|)i)Iy  has  caused  the  dealers  to  ship 
ill  the     forciyii  aiticic     at  a     t;reatlv     reduced 


John   F.   Harvey. 

price.  Tims  Streator  has  been  the  "fainer  in 
liofli  ways  liy  the  enterprise  of  tin-  Harveys. 
'i'liey  also  handle  the  smokeless  Wot  \'iri;inia 
coal,  both  domestic  and  smithing;. 


Orisiinally  oriiaiiized  for  coal  handling:,  their 
business  has  branched  out  in  many  direction-^. 
They  handle  all  kinds  of  building  materials, 
and  are  special  distributor.';  of  Medus."'.  cement. 
They  are  agents  for  the  .1.  I.  Case  line  of  steam 
thresjiers  and  agricultural  imjilements,  as  well 
as  their  automobiles.  They  have  branched  out 
extensively  into  the  general  contracting  busi- 
ness, and  most  of  the  heavy  contracts  for  exca- 
vation, such  as  the  new  bridge,  the  Mlks.  and 
the  Williams  building,  have  been  awarded  to 
them. 

They  <lo  a  laryc  delivery  and  drayage  busi- 
ness, two  of  their  tt'ams  constantly  emi>loyed  at 
that  work,  while  half  a  dozen  more  are  employ- 
ed in  the  coal  busine.s.s.  They  are  also  local 
ilistributors  for  the  Washbum-Crosby,  the 
I'illsbury  ami  three  other  leading  tloiir  mills  of 
llie  i-ouiitry.  and  maintaiii  a  storage  dejiot  for 
tlie  (lour  till  it  is  distributed. 

The  Harvey  Dray  and  Transfer  Coiiipaiiy  is 
a  partnership,  consisting  of  K.  I^.  and  .J.  F. 
Harvey — father  and  son.  K.  L.  Harvey  is  one 
of  the  oldest  residents  of  the  city,  and  noted  as 
one  of  its  quaintest  wags  and  humorists.  In 
early  days  known  far  and  wide  as  the  titwn 
blacksmith,  he  has  been  engage(l  In  dilVereiit 
lines  of  business,  and  now  in  his  latter  years  is 
prospering  in  a  new  line  of  work.  His  son, 
•lolin  F.  Harvey,  the  originator  of  the  new  de 
parture,  is  one  of  the  driving,  pushing,  forceful 
young  business  men  of  the  town.  He  has  plans 
for  far-reaching  expansions,  looking  toward  a 
large  and  successful  concern.  He  was  born  in 
Streator  in  1878,  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools,  ai'd  took  the  business  course  at  the 
llisrii  School. 


HOWELLS  &  HAMPTON,  JOBBERS 


The  remaiivable  railroad  facilities  of  Strea- 
tor I'oint  to  a  develo))ment  as  a  distributing 
centie  for  merchandise  that  has  not  yet  been 
fully  realized.  With  lines  of  railroad  radiating 
outward  like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel  from  the 
hul),  ami  with  scores  of  thriving  towns  and  vil- 
lages dotting  the  prairies  for  hundreds  of  miles 
in  every  direction,  it  is  curious  that  its  advan- 
tage's as  a  jobliing  and  wholesale  centre  were 
not  sooner  percei\'ed. 

However,  about  three  years  ago  Streator 
was  "discovered"  as  a  prospective  centre  for 
tlie  .jobt)ing  triide.     The     discoverers     were     a 


couple  of  young  men  who  had  tliemselves  for  a 
iiuiniier  of  years  been  representatives  of  Chi- 
cago bouses.  The  thought  came  to  them  that 
what  they  had  so  long  done  for  otiiers  they 
iiiiiilit  do  for  themsehcs  with  e<|ual  success. 
And  what  center  of  distribution  so  favorable 
as  their  own  home  town  ? 

They  had  for  years  been  making  the  Xortli- 
eni  Illinois  territory  from  Streator.  They  knew 
every  ston*  in  the  territory,  and  tiiev  knew  that 
from  no  other  point  could  service  be  as  i>roinpt 
and  s])eedy  as  from  Streator.  Tlie  drawbacks 
of  Chicago  were  well  known  to  them     from  ex- 


no 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


perience.  As  Mr.  Howells,  the  senior  jjartner, 
remarked:  "If  I  sent  an  order  from  my  terri- 
tory to  Chicago  I  would  he  lucky  to  i;et  it  filled 
in  three  or  foiir  days,  so  great  is  the  congestion 
of  business  in  the  big  city.  If  I  sent  it  to  Strea- 
tor,  the  customer  would  get  the  goods  the  next 
day.  That  is  the  advantage  of  Streator  as  a 
jobbing  point  for  this  territory,  and  it  is  an  en- 
ormous one." 


R.  J.  HoweUs. 

TJiey  formulated  their  ])lan  ;  carefully,  se- 
lected a  territory  for  about  fifty  miles  around 
Streator  with  which  they  were  thoroughly  fa- 
miliar, picked  a  line  of  goods  they  knew  would 
find  a  ready  market,  and  went  to  work.  The 
lule  of  purchase  was:  "Buy  no  more  goods  than 
we  can  discount  the  bills  on."  They  liave  stuck 
to  that  rule,  and  though  their  progress  has  not 
been  meteoric,  it  has  been  safe,  substantial  and 
steady.  They  buy  no  more  goods  than  they  can 
sell,  and  they  take  advantage  of  every  discount. 
No  one  can  undersell  the  man  who  discounts  his 
bills,  and  who  knows  his  trade  thoroughly  at 
both  the  buying  and  selling  ends.  It  is  not  to 
be  wondered  at  that  their  l)usiness  has  increas- 
ed ten-fold  in  three  years,  and  tluit  they  dream 
of  a  time  when  they  will  have  a  wholesale  es- 
tablishment in  Streator  to  compare  wi'li  the  big 
Chicago  houses. 

The  line  selected  by  them  was  cigars,  confec- 
tionery and  grocers'  specialties,  and  they  have 
stayed  closelv  bv  their     selection.       Thev     are 


gars,  some  of  which  they  are  exclusive  dis- 
tributors of.  Among  their  10-cent  brands  are 
the  Leoi-na,  Irene,  Optima,  Green  Seal,  Plautis- 
ta  and  IJavaiui  Smokers;  and  their  5-cent  list 
includes  the  Klljarra,  Aaron  Burr,  Single  Bin- 
der, Eosv  Light  and  their  own  specialty,  H. 
&H.        ■        ' 

Botli  jiartners  are  in  the  prime  of  life  and 
are  experienced  commercial  travelers.  Mr. 
Richard  Howells  is  a  graduate  of  the  University 
of  Hard  Knocks,  and,  like  other  Streator  youths 
found  his  v."ay  up  into  the  sunlight  of  success 
by  the  aid  of  a  jiit  lamp.  He  was  born  in  Aber- 
dare,  Wales,  in  1869.  came  to  America  at  8 
years  of  age,  went  to  work  shortly  after,  pick- 
ing slate  at  a  ]iit-head  in  Pennsylvania.  Before 
long  he  was  promoted  downward  into  the  ]ut, 
and  dug  coal  for  several  years  in  Streator. 
During  the  recurrent  sti'ikes  of  those  days  he 
learned  the  ])rinting  trade,  and  from  that 
graduated  on  the  road  as  a  commercial  traveler. 
He  is  one  of  Streator 's  respected  citizens,  a  ves- 
tryman of  the  Episcopal  church,  for  14-  year.? 
vice-jn'esident  of  the  German  Building  &  Loan 
Association,  and  a  director  of  the  People's 
Trr.st  and  Savings  Bank. 


Walter  P.  Hampton. 

Mr.  Walter  Hampton  was  born  in  Gridley, 
111.,  in  1875,  has  been  a  salesman  and  commer- 
cial traveler  the  most  of  his  days.  He  came  to 
Streator  fourteen  years  ago,  has  identified  him- 


self with  its    best  interests,    and    is  one    of  its 
building  up  a  strong  trade  for    their  line  of  ei-        highly  regarded  citizens. 


Tin:  STOKV  OP  sTHi:.\T()i:. 


Ill 


THE  J.  C.  AMES  LUMBER  COMPANY 


'riifre  is  HIP  (•(Uh-fiii  tliiit  luis  iikmc  rij;iil  In 
feel  itself  an  iiitt'ji:ial  part  of  Strcator  tliaii  tlio 
J.  ('.  Ames  I.iiiiilicr  ('oiii)iany..  Two  tliiids  of 
its  luiil(liiiv:s  are  roofed,  slicatlici).  Hoored  and 
finislied  with  Ames'  liiiiilicr.  so  it  may  riijiitly 
consider  itself  a  larire  jpart  of  the  l>ody  tliat  tlie 
.sou!  of  Strealor  inhaliits.  Biir  Imihlini^s  ami 
small,  mansions  and  siianties,  tiie  framework 
of  Ames  lumi)er  is  in  all  of  them.  Tlie  Motor 
Car  Works,  the  1)  Heenan  Store.  The  (Jarliehl 
Scliool.  the  M.  ]•:.  churcli.  the  Powers  &  Wil- 
liams and  the  Mlks'  new  Imildinj^s — all  these 
and  many  more  lieir  on  their  inside  structure 
the  mark  of  the  Ames  ;.und)er  ('ompany.  To 
furnish  all   these  s^reat      interest  -     with     their 


Carlos  Ames. 


Clark  Studio 


buildinn  material,  to  bear  a  liij;h  and  honorable 
reputation  in  tlie  ti'ade  for  upwards  of  a  iren- 
eratioii  is  credit  ennu^ii  for  an>'  lirm. 

It  be-ian  business  in  1S7!>  when  .1.  ('.  Ames 
transferred  his  interests  from  hardware  to  lum- 
ber, lie  operated  it  as  a  private  enteri)rise  un- 
til IS!*],  wiien  it  wa-  incorporated  as  the  J.  C. 
Anu's  Lumber  Company.  Ailliouiih  called  to 
lii.irh  imbljc  station.  Mi'.  Ames  has  retaiiieil  liis 
interest  in  the  comi»iny.  and  is  still  its  presi- 
dent and  princi])al  stockholder. 

The  vice-president  is  his  son.  Mr.  T.  C.  Ames, 
who  is  on  the  ground  and  participates  actively 
in  the  business;  and  the  .secretary-treasurer  is 
'S\y.  11.  1>.  Manley,  the     responsible    office  man- 


ager, who  has  been   with     the     conipanv     since 

1  s;»2. 

With  the  passing-  of  the  years  the  growing 
business  of  the  J.  C.  Ames  Lumber  Company 
will  continue  to  jiress  more  heavily  on  the  shoul- 
ilers  of  I.  C.  Ames,  or  "Carlos,"  as  he  is  moi'e 
familiarly  known  to  the  companions  of  his 
youth.  But  the  shoulder.-  are  broad  and 
brawny,  and  eipuil  to  any  burden,  as  the  pass- 
ing years  bring  poise  and  maturity  of  .judg- 
ment. Young  Mr.  Ames  is  widely  traveled  and 
has  had  an  unusual  range  of  experience.  He  has 
seen  government  service  autl  has  participated 
in  the  great  work  of  the  century— the  building 
of  the  Pananui  Canal.  Having  ])assed  a  youth 
of  stirring  adventure,  he  has  returned  to  the 
(dd  home,  married,  and  has  yoked  his  back  to 
the  busiiu'ss  load  which  his  elders  must  soon 
lav  down. 


Harrv    L.    Manley. 


Clark  Studio 


He  is  daily  immersed  in  the  business  detail 
of  the  Ames  lumber  business,  and  is  in  active 
and  i)ersonal  charge  of  the  yards.  He  has  also 
taken  hold  of  city  affairs,  and  has  a  working 
interest  in  its  upbuilding.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Civil  Service  Commission  controlling  the  po- 
lice and  firemen  of  the  city,  a  member  of  the 
building  committee  for  the  new  Elks'  building, 
and  a  promoter  of  athletic  sports,  base  ball, 
district  fair,  etc.,  everything  that  goes  to  make 
thiuiis  livelv  in  Streator. 


112 


THK   STOKV  OP  STHKATOH. 


THE  PLUMB  HOUSE 


The  Plumb  House  is  the  ohlost  of  Streator's 
hostelries,  and  one  of  the  most  widely  knowu. 
It  was  built  in  1882  by  a  group  of  public  spir- 
ited citizens  for  the  purpose  of  siviuii'  the  town 
a  hotel  that  in  magnitude  and  e(]uii)nient  would 
be  commensurate  with  its  growiui;-  require- 
ments. The  march  of  events  is  rapid  in  these 
days,  and  in  25  years  the  house  that  hid  been 
up-to-date  and  a  little  beyond  wlu-n  it  was  built 
iiad  fallen  a  little  1)ehin(i  tlu'  jirevailing  hotel 
standards.  In  1907  the  owner,  with  cliaracter- 
istic  enterprise,  remodeled  the  entire  interior 
and  brought  it  again  up  to  the  minute. 

The  Plumb  House  is  now  eijuipped  with  ev- 
ery convenience  of  a  modern  hotel,  and  Streator 


will  be  called  on  to  meet.  The  hotel  now  has 
80  available  rooms  and  plans  are  under  consid- 
eration for  adding  new  extensions  which  will 
increase  this  capacity.  It  is  located  on  one  of 
the  jn-incipal  corners  of  the  Main  street  of  the 
city,  and  yet  far  enough  from  the  raili'oad 
centre  to  be  free  from  the  noise,  smoke  and  dirt 
of  the  trains.  The  accompanying  cut  gives  an 
indication  of  its  architectural  proi)ortions. 

Mr.  and  -Mrs.  Hutchinson  are  thoroughly  ex- 
perienced hotel  peui)le,  and  know  the  require- 
ments of  the  traveling  public.  Prior  to  coming 
to  Streator  they  were  in  the  business  of  hotel 
management  in  Chicago  for  years.  There  they 
had  first  the  Gresham,  and  later    the    Oakland 


can  boast  of  a  house  equal  to  the  expectations  of 
its  visitors,  and  commensurate  with  its  achieve- 
ments in  other  directions.  It  is  provided  with 
steam  heat,  electric  lights,  freight  and  jiassen- 
ger  elevator,  local  and  long  distance  telephones, 
hot  and  cold  running  water  in  all  rooms,  and 
also  a  fire  escape  in  each  room. 

These  improvements  were  made  in  the  first 
year  of  the  tenancy  of  the  ])resent  landloid,  ^Ir. 
Joshua  Hutchinson,  who,  on  assuming  the  man- 
agement in  1907,  thoroughly  refurnished  the 
house.  Under  his  direction  the  hotel  has  pros- 
])ered  and  it  is  now  a  question  of  whether  the 
hotel  must  not  soon  be  enlarged  to  meet  the  in- 
creasing demand  for  accommodations  which  it 


Hotel,  the  latter  l)eing  among  the  most  impor- 
tant family  hotels  of  the  city.  Their  training 
has  fitted  them  for  handling  the  best  and  finest 
clientile,  and  Mr.  Hutchinson  is  little  inclined 
by  experience  or  predisposition  to  \n\t  i\\>  with 
the  rough  or  disorderly.  The  Plumb,  therefore, 
has  become  a  synonym  for  order,  cleanliness, 
(juietude,  and  all  the  cpialities  which  well-man- 
nered respectable,  rest-seeking  traveling  i)eo- 
ple  look  for  in  their  temporary  home  on  the 
road. 

^Ir.  Joshua  Hutchinson  was  born  in  Queens 
County,  Ireland,  in  1848,  and  came  to  America 
in  1872.  The  first  half  of  his  life  was  given  to 
the  dry  goods  trade,  and  he    served    as  sales- 


Tin:  sinitv  or  sthfatotj 


113 


man  in  sonio  of  the  most  famous  houses,  sueh 
as  A.  'r.  Stewart  iS:  Co.,  Xew  York,  aud  Charles 
Gossa^e  &  Co.,  Chicago.  The  latter  half  of  his 
life  has  been    spent  in  the    hotel    business,    at 


which  he  has  achieved  a  gratifying  success.  He 
is  an  active  supporter  of  all  forward  movements 
of  the  city,  and  especially  friendly  to  its  relig- 
ious, educational  and  cultural  interests. 


HOTEL  REPUBLIC 


The  visitors  to  a  town  arc  not  all  attractcil 
to  the  most  pretentious  cstalilishnicnts.  Among 
travelers  there  are  many  to  wiiom  there  are 
more  important  considerations  than  style  or 
luxury,  and  to  this  numerous  class  the  Hotel 
Kepulilii-  makes  its  appeal.  It  olTers  comfort,  it 
olTers  cleanliness,  it  olTers  well  prejiared,  invit- 
ing, substantial  meals  to  its  guests,  and  its  |)ros- 
perity  demonstrates  that  it  fills  a  place  the  |)ub- 
lic  wciiihl  tio|   wiliinirlx'  have  xacated. 


the  week.  That  a  hotel  of  this  type  is  appre- 
ciated is  shown  by  the  fact  tliat  its  rooms  are  al- 
ways full,  and  its  dining  rooms  sJiow  few  un- 
occupied seats  at  meal  times. 

The  i)ro|)rietor  is  Mrs.  Mary  Lightbodj'', 
wliile  the  active  cares  of  management  fall  on 
the  able  shoidders  of  her  son-in-law,  Mr.  (icorge 
Baldwin.  The  hotel  was  erected  in  18!)3  and 
was  operated  with  varying  success  and  failure 
iiiitil  the  pi'eseiit    management    took     liold     in 


The  Hotel  Keimblic  is  situated  on  the  corner 
of  Illinois  and  Hickory  streets,  ojiposite  the 
Santa  Fe  depot.  It  is  a  substantial  brick  build- 
ing of  38  rooms,  equipjied  with  gas,  electric 
light  and  steam  heat.  It  caters  to  the  commer- 
cial traveler,  and  is  the  favorite  stopping  place 
of  railroad  men,  many  of  whom  have  to  lay 
over  in  Streator  at  the  end  of  their  runs.  Its 
rates  are  $]..')()  per  day,  with    special     rates  by 


1907.  The  house  was  thoroughly  renovated  and 
modernized,  and  straightway  began  a  career  of 
jjrosperity  that  has  remained  unbroken  until 
the  pi-esent  time.  Asked  the  secret  of  his  re- 
markable success  Manager  Baldwin  replied: 

•'There  are  just  two  things  in  running  a 
good  medium  priced  hotel,  but  they  are  funda- 
mental and  in(lis])ensable.  They  •  are,  good 
food  and  good  beds.    These    involve    a  lot    of 


114 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


other  things,  such  as  good  help,  good  supervis- 
ion, good  buying  and  good  management.  Above 
all,  the  most  indispensable  thing  is  cleanliness, 
and  this  requires  tireless  and  unceasing  vigi- 
lence.  Unremitting  attention  to  these  details 
have  given  our  house  a  good  reputation  and  our 
trade  is  as  much  as  we  can  accommodate.  Our 
greatest  need  at  i:)resent  is  an  addition  to  the 
building.  I  may  admit  the  business  has  been 
profitable,  and  we  have  made  money.  But  not 
this  year.  Though  the  volume  of  business  is  un- 
diminished, our  profits  are  reduced  to  the  van- 
ishing point.  This  is  on  account  of  the  enor- 
mous increase  in  the  price  of  eatables.  We  aim 
to  supply  our  table  with  as  good  and  costly  food 
as  the  high  priced  hotels;  the  only  difference 
being  in  elaborateness  of  service  and  furnish- 
ings. The  increase  of  prices  therefore  strikes 
us  at  a  vital  spot,  and  we  cannot  recover  our 


profit  without  raising  our  rates,  and  this  we 
cannot  do  without  sacrificing  our  position  as 
the  leading  medium  priced  hotel  of  the  town. 
Meanwhile  we  are  holding  up  our  standard,  and 
retaining  our  trade,  hoping  that  jjrices  will 
take  a  favorable  turn  soon." 

The  editor  records  this  little  interview  as  a 
local  instance  of  a  feature  of  contemporaneous 
histoiy  that  may  become  memorable.  The  pres- 
ent year  may  be  remembered  as  the  climax  of 
the  era  of  high  jDrices. 

]\fr.  George  M.  Baldwin,  manager  of  the 
Hotel  Beimblic,  is  practically  a  Streator  pro- 
duct. He  was  born  in  Coalville,  across  the  river, 
and  is  one  of  those  coal  miners  of  whom  Strea- 
tor is  proud,  who  graduated  from  the  pick  by 
the  aid  of  the  ])it  lamp,  and  by  talent  rose  out 
of  the  darkness  of  the  mine  to  achieve  a  sub- 
stantial success  in  the  business  world. 


THE  GRIFFITH  LAUNDRY 


A  business  concern  equipped   witli   modern       Up-to-date  in  all  its  departments.    Owned  and 
machinery,    new  building,    centrally    located.       operated  l?y  W.  J.  Griffith. 


THE  STREATOR  STEAM   LAUNDRY 


The     wonderful     impetus  to     co-operative       the  steam  laundry.     To  get  the  washing  out 
housekeeping  finds  no  auxiliary    so    potent  as        of  the  house  is  the  first  great  step  in  that  ban- 


Till,   STORV   or   STIM,\T<)I«. 


115 


ishmciit  of  tlif  housewife's  dnul,si:erv  whieli  is 
essential  net  only  to  tlie  solution  of  the  servant 
girl  problem,  but  also  to  the  i^reservation  of  the 
American  home. 

Jiut  it  must  he.  a  good  laundry.  It  must  be 
clean,  it  must  be  careful,  and  above  all,  it  must 
send  the  housewife's  own  clothes  back — and 
not  some  other  body's.  This  takes  the  most 
scrupulous  sort  of  attcr^tion,  else  the  laundry 
will  fail.  thou,s::li  it  liave  the  best  machinery  in 
the  world.  It  is  in  this  special  quality  of  at- 
tention to  detail  that  the  Streator  Steam  Laun- 
dry excels.     Its  proprietor,  .lohn  J.   Woolley, 


John   J.    Woolley. 

has  been  in  the  business  for  Ki  years  in  Strea- 
tor,  and  it  is  to  this  never  tirinj;  quality  of  pa- 
tience and  vigilance  that  his  success  is  due.  In 
these  1(5  years  the  l>usiness  has  grown  to  large 
proportions.  It  includes  the  business  of  all  the 
hotels,  a  lireat  numlu'r  of  the  best  homes, 
and  it  has  fifteen  agents  in  other  towns,  such  as 
Chillicothe,  Toluca.  Kansom,  Cornell,  etc.,  who 
pour  in  a  lari;:e  volume  of  business. 

In  this  rapid  moving  age  it  is  necessary  of 


course  to  keep  up  with  the  times  in  the  matter 
of  equipment,  and  the  Woolley  laundry  has  the 
best.  It  has  five  Ideal  washers  of  the  latest 
type,  and  tlie.se  allow  the  separation  of  the 
great  mass  of  material  without  too  much  mix- 
ture. The  white  clothes  have  one  machine,  the 
colored  clothes  another,  white  shirts  another, 
table  cloths  still  another.  Overalls  and  work- 
men's clothes  are  a-iven  a  special  machine, 
which  is  used  for  no  otlii'r  purjiose. 

The  costliest  item  of  laundry  equipment  is 
the  mangle,  and  Mr.  Woolley  has  one  of  the 
largest  capacity,  the  American  Co.'s  Six  Roll 
Flat  Work  Ironer,  with  110  inch  rolls.  This 
lias  a  daily  capacity  of  ],<S()(>  shirts.  The  most 
recent  acquisition  is  a  special  culT  ironer, 
which  insures  a  longer  life  and  finish  to  the 
cutT.  There  are  wristl)and  and  neckband  iron- 
ers,  collar  and  cuff  starchers,  reverse  body  and 
sleeve  ironers,  body  irons  and  numerous  de- 
vices the  mention  of  which  would  only  confuse 
the  unitiated.  In  place  of  the  family  wringer, 
however,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  clothes 
are  wnins;  without  abrasion  by  M-liat  is  called 
an  Extractor.  It  is  solidly  built  of  metal  and 
runs  at  a  velocity  of  1200  revolutions  per  min- 
ute. The  clothes  are  dried  in  a  steam-heated 
Truck  Dry  Koom,  the  inside  of  which  is  cover- 
ed with  a  lininir  of  briiiht  tin.  It  will  not  cor- 
i-ode,  and  cannot  stain  the  clothes.  Needless 
to  say  that  by  the  lime  the  clothes  pass  through 
(his  jtrocess  thev  are  thoroughly  sterilized,  and 
there  need  be  no  fear  of  srerms. 

P>nt  invaluable  as  is  the  modern  machinery, 
Mr.  Woolley  lays  most  of  his  stress  on  exjier- 
ienced  and  comjictent  help.  The  force  is  thor- 
oughly organized,  and  there  is  an  expert  at  the 
switch  at  each  machine.  The  big  man<>le  re- 
ijuires  four  to  ojjerate  it,  and  some  of  the  work 
can  oidy  be  comi)leted  by  hand  finishers.  Some 
of  the  help  has  been  with  Mr.  Woolley  for  seven 
years,  and  every  effoi't  is  made  to  keep  the  best 
grade  of  labor.  The  union  scale  of  wages  is  ]iaid 
and  a  9-hour  day  prevails. 

John  J.  Woolley  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Free- 
dom Township,  La  Salle  County  in  1859.  His 
father.  Dr.  ]\lilton  Woolley.  was  an  astronomi- 
cal student  of  note,  and  his  work  of  paralleling 
biblical  and  zodiacal  myths  attracted  consider- 
able comment.  The  family  came  to  Streator 
about  35  years  ago,  and  the  proprietor  of  the 
Strer.tor  Steam  Laundry  has  made  it  his  home 
ever  since. 


116 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


FINLEN  &  COMPANY,  MORTICIANS 


One  of  the  tenderest  sentiments  of  the  hu- 
man heart,  and  one  of  the  most  universal,  is 
that  which  impels  us  to  show  our  love  for  tlie 
dei^arted  by  a  fine  and  fitting  treatment  of  its 
bodily  vestment.  Unfortunately  this  beautiful 
sentiment,  under  current  usages,  is  made  use 
of  to  tyrannize  over  the  living  under  the  guise 
of  paying  respect  to  the  dead.  Too  many  fami- 
lies, broken  by  sorrow,,  and  impoverished  by 
long  illness,  are  made  to  carry  the  additional 
Inirden  of  a  needlessly  expensive  funeral  by 
this  appeal  to  the  fine  affection  that  makes 
them  want  to  show  honor  to  the  de])arted.  So 
thev  are  weighted  down  with     a  debt     which 


the  service,  or  the  dignity  of  the  occasion. 

The  leaders  of  this  movement  in  Streator 
are  Finlen  &  C'ompanv,  who  have  opened  a  new 
establishment  at  202  W.  Main  street.  The  fact 
that  the  firm  is  also  connected  with  its  own 
liverj'  stables  enables  it  to  effect  a  saving  for  its 
clients  as  well  as  offering  a  convenience.  It  is 
the  custom  among  tlie  livery  people  to  pay  the 
undertaker  a  commission  on  all  carriages, 
hearses,  or  vehicles  used.  In  the  case  of  Fin- 
len &  Co.  this  commission  goes  directly  to  the 
client  and  heljis  to  reduce  the  cost  of  the  fu- 
neral. The  (|uarters  of  the  Finlen  livery  are 
directly  adjoining  the  undertaking  rooms,  and 


Office  and  Reception  Room. 


Clark  Studio 


may  burden  them  for  years,  and  all  because 
custom  and  business  interest  has  prompted  au 
overexpensive  funeral. 

A  movement  has  been  taking  form  in  re- 
cent years  looking  toward  the  removal  of  this 
unnecessary  burden  from  the  backs     of    poor 
people.     A  new  type  of  morticians  have  come 
into  being,  who,  realizing  how  crushing  is  the 
burden  of  funeral  debt,  have  detemiined  on  a 
policy  that  will  reduce  it  to  a  minimmn.  "Work- 
ing hand  in  hand  with  modern  casket  makers, 
and  being  willing  to  work  for  a  moderate  pro- 
fit, they  have  been  able  to  greatly  reduce  the 
cost  of  funerals  without  in  any  way  diminish- 
ing the  richness  of  the  casket,  the  efficiency  of 


their  matched  teams,  funeral  carriages  and 
equipment  are  recognized  as  among  the  finest 
in  the  count}'.  All  arrangements  for  carriages 
etc.,  can  be  made  directly  with  the  undertaker, 
and  Ihe  client  thus  relieved  of  looking  after 
these  details. 

The  Finlen  undertaking  rooms  are  the  only 
ones  in  the  city  provided  with  a  chapel.  Here 
funeral  services  may  be  conducted  as  in  a 
church,  with  proper  seating  accommodations 
for  attendants.  Parties  who  bring  a  funeral 
cortege  from  other  cities  will  find  the  chapel  a 
great  convenience  for  the  conducting  of  fu- 
neral services,  either  by  the  clergy  or  by  fra- 
ternal orders.    The  use  of  the  chapel  is  free  to 


Tirr  viDin   of  sthkator. 


117 


all,  rejiyanlless  of  sect  or  denoiiiiiuition. 

Wliik'  having  speeial  rej^ard  for  moderation 
in  price  tiie  Finlen  Company  want  it  under- 
stood tliat  tiio  quality  of  their  j-oods  is  not  sur- 
])assed  by  any  in  the  market,  either  in  richness, 
beauty,  or  elegance  of  design  and  linish. 

The  active  member  of  the  iirm  is  Mr. 
Charles  M.  Finleu,  son  of  the  well  known  livery 


man,  Mr.  C.  Finleu.  lie  is  a  typical  Streator 
boy,  boru  and  reared  here.  His  wide  ac(iuaint- 
auce  will  assure  him  a  favorable  introduction, 
and  his  abilitj-  and  experience  will  no  doubt 
win  him  an  honorable  position  in  his  chosen 
jirofession.  1'hose  re(juiring  his  services  will 
receive  a  prompt  response  by  calling  at  202 
West  Main  street,  or  through  phone  (53. 


TEBERG,  THE  SHOE  MAN 


\\ .  .\!.  'i'chcrg,  one  of  tlie  proprietors  of  the 
Streator  Wear-You-Well  Shoe  House,  and  the 
owner  and  propiictoi-  of  two  well  e(juip])ed  sliue 
repair  establishments  in  the  city,  is  a  workman 
who  by  do.se  attention  to  every  detail  of  his 
business,  bv  tireless  eiiergv  and  iiidustrv,  and 


ness  in  the  delivery  of  orders. 

In  the  repairing  of  boots  and  shoes  there  is 
big  opjiortunity  for  the  use  of  false  and  shoddy 
maleiial  and  yet  in  few  lines  is  the  need  of 
good  nuiterial  more  apparent  or  more  neces- 
sarv. 


The  Teberg  Shoe  House. 


by  a  determination  to  give  to  his  patrons  full 
value  in  all  tilings  at  all  times,  has  won  for 
himself  recognition  as  a  business  man  and  ar- 
tisan. Mr.  leberg  is  a  believer  in  good  goods 
and  good  workmanship,  coupled  with  prompt- 


He  calls  his  place  of  business  the  "Electric 
Shoe  Repairing  Shoi)s"  and  the  name  gives 
character  to  tiie  work  and  the  work  gives 
character  to  the  name.  The  word  "Electric" 
carries  with  it,  to  the  average  intelligence,  the 


118 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOK. 


idea  of  modernity,  quickness,  efficiency,  thor- 
oughness, and  the  half  hourly  practice  of  the 
Teberg  Shops  in  soleing  and  heeling  and  other- 
wise making  for  service  purposes  new  shoes 
out  of  old  ones,  while  you  wait,  is  proof  that 
the  woi'd  "Electric"  as  a  name,  tinds  rightful 
usage  here. 

The  Teberg  Exclusive  Eepair  Shop  is  at  107 
North  Monroe  street,  just  off  Main  street.  It 
was  here  that  he  really  got  his  start  and  it  is 
to  this  place  that  persons,  needing  his  services, 
go.  His  otiier  place  is  at  418  p]ast  Main  street, 
and  is  run  in  connection  with  the  Wear-You- 
Well  Shoe  House     and  the    Katsioulas    Shoe 


Dressing  and  Hat  Cleaning  Concern. 

Bealizing  the  possibilities  of  the  shoe  re- 
pairing trade,  when  judiciously  managed  and 
directed  and  backed  by  reasonable  intelli- 
gence, Mr.  Teberg  is  seriously  contemjilating 
at  this  time  the  extension  of  his  shoe  rapair- 
ing  business  to  neighboring  cities,  with  Strea- 
tor  as  a  center,  and  he  says  that  he  was  partly 
urged  to  this  decision  by  the  fact  that  Streator 
has  such  excellent  passenger  and  shipping  fa- 
cilities. 

Mr.  Teberg  was  born  in  Chenoa  in  ]88"2,  and 
came  to  Streator  some  four  years  ago. 


T.  J.  MERRINER,  REAL  ESTATE 


Eeal  estate  and  real  estate  men  have  much        came  to  Illinois  in  the  vear  1878  and  located  in 


to  do  with  the  upbuilding  of  every  commun- 
ity— on  the  activity,  community  interest  and 
sense  of  values  of  men  thus  engaged,  the  future 
of  every  city  much  depends.     There  are  those 


T.  J.  Meiiiner. 

buying  and  selling  lands,  lots  and  houses  who 
are  in  the  business  because  they  have  idle 
capital  and  see  money  in  it;  but  thei-e  are  oth- 
ers who  have  no  choice — there  are  men  who  to 
the  profession  are  born;  they  are  kiiown  as  nat- 
ural traders,  and  close  to  the  top  in  this  class 
stands  T.  J.  Meri-iner. 

Mr.  Merriner  was    born  in    Virginia    and 


Streator.  He  ap]irentieed  as  a  mason  and  after 
mastering  the  details  of  the  craft,  worked  as  a 
journeyman,  later  branching  out  for  himself  as 
an  independent  general  contractor  in  the  build- 
ing line,  in  which  he  continued  until  less  than 
a  year  ago,  when  he  opened  a  real  estate  office 
over  the  People's  Trust  &  Savings  Bank. 


V\lieif  All.   .Milliner  Offices. 


This  dei)!irture  on  his  part  was  but  the 
culmination  of  his  life's  inclinations  and  in- 
tent, for  during  all  of  the  years  he  had  been 
a  contractor  he  had  been  profiting  by  the  op- 
portunities afforded  to  learn  land  and  lot  and 


TH>:   STOR^    OF   STRK.ATOIJ. 


119 


location  vahios.  and  as  a  result  of  the  many 
transaction  already  entered  into,  when  he  open- 
ed his  real  estate  ollicc  he  had  a  variety  of 
Ijrojterties  all  his  own.  He  had  options  on 
many  other  choice  hits  liere  and  there  over  the 


in,','-  land  investments  in  other  growing  and 
ra])idly  developing  section,  will  make  no  mis- 
take in  talking  the  matter  over  with  him  be- 
fore reaching  a  decision. 

Here  is  one  real  estate  man  that    sells  and 


city,  and  a  iiunilicr  <>f  iDnmiission  contracts  in 
addition. 

In  addition  to  hcim,^  well  erpiiiii'ed  with 
Streator  ju-operties.  lu-  is  ajrent  for  farm  lands 
in  all  sections  of  the  country,  especially  to  the 
Xiirtli  aiir)   N'oitli\\('-t.  and  parties  contemplat- 


Merriuer. 

trades  for  the  love  of  the  work  and  in  the  main 
relies  on  guaranteed  constantly  increasing  val- 
ues for  reward.  That  manner  of  real  estate 
agent  is  a  necessity  in  every  city,  and  the  more 
of  his  kind  that  a  municii)ality  has  the  more 
rajiidlv  it  will  ] n-oyress  to  the  front. 


THE  JOHN  NEUMAIER  ELECTRIC  COMPANY 


Streator  is  now  in  a  position  to  talce  care  of 
its  own  electric  work.  Formerly  if  it  became 
neces.sary  to  rewind  an  armature,  it  had  to  be 
sent  out  of  town,  a  proceeding  often  inconven- 
ient to  owners  of  motors  oi'  i^'enerators.  Now 
if  any  accident  happens  all  that  is  necessary 
is  to  send  them  to  the  slioj)  of  the  Xeumaier 
Electric  Company,  or,  if  too  large  for  that,  they 
can  be  repaired  on  the  spot.  The  Xeumaier 
firm  is  also  able  to  design  and  constiuct  switch- 
boai'ds  for  any  i)ossible  use,  also  to  do  the  wir- 
ing of  buildings  under  the  most  approved 
plans.  They  carry  a  comj)lete  line  of  electric 
supplies,  such  as  vacuum  cleaners,  washing 
machines,  toasters,  ironers,  lamps,  sockets, 
fuses  and  the  like. 

Mr.  John  Neumaier,  the  head  of  the  con- 
cern,, is  one  of  the  prominent  electricians  of  the 


west,  lie  wa-  for  some  years  electrical  engi- 
neer for  the  Allis-Clialmers  Company,  of  j\Iil- 
waukee,  and  is  freipiontly  recalled  to  that  city 
for  expert  work  and  consultation.  Associated 
with  him  is  Mr.  John  G.  Jjukach,  for  several 
years  in  charge  of  the  electrical  work  of  the 
Ameiican  Bottle  ('oni])any.  At  the  head  of  the 
office  force  is  Mr.  William  Ackerman,  long  and 
favorably  knoM-n  as  the  editor  of  the  Volks- 
blatt.  and  in  later  years  the  po|)uh!r  police 
magistrate  of  the  city. 

The  companv  was  incoiporated  on  March  9, 
191-2  with  a  cajutal  of  $10,000,  with  John  Neu- 
maier as  president,  John  G.  Lukach,  vice-presi- 
dent, and  William  Ackerman  secretaiy-treas- 
urer.  Their  office  is  at  109  West  Main  street. 
Phone  No.  375. 


120 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


THE  BLUE  FRONT  RESTAURANT 


The  proprietor  aud  maiiayer  of  the  Bhie 
Front  is  John  H.  Swartz,  aud  althougli  when 
he  assumed  ownership  aud  control  he  was  with- 
out training  or  experience  in  the  woi'k,  he  has 
given  to  tlie  business  sucli  intelligent  applica- 
tion that  today  he  is  master  of  its  every  detail. 

Mr.  Swartz  is  a  Streator  boy,  having  been 
born  on  the  banks  of  the  Vermillion  river,  just 
across  the  county  line,  twenty-five  years  ago. 
He  attended  school  in  Streator,  and  when 
through  with  school  life,  concluding  he  would 


the  best  markets  and  served  in  a  way  that 
leaves  little  to  be  desired  and  nothing  to  be 
complained  of  when  prices  are  considered,  the 
highest  point  in  the  public  restaurant  line  has 
been  reached.  The  Blue  Front  eating  house  at 
212  Main  street,  is  such  a  place,  and  the  fact  is 
generally  recognized  by  the  people  of  Streator 
who  are  compelled  by  circumstances  to  take 
their  meals  in  public  places. 

The  Blue  Front  is  ideally  located  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  business  district,  the  room  is  cool 


Blue   Front   Cafe. 


like  to  see  some  other  parts  of  the  country,  left 
for  Chicago  and  later  gravitated  west  and  lo- 
cated in  Kansas  City,  in  which  city  he  worked 
for  some  time,  but  the  call  of  Streator  was  ever 
liresent  and  two  and  one-half  years  since  he  re- 
turned and  bought  an  interest  in  the  business 
he  owns  and  directs  today. 

A  cool,  comfortable,  clean  and  well  lighted 
place  in  which  to  eat  contributes  much  to  the 
graces  of  living.  When  these  conditions  are 
reinforced  by  good  goods  brought    fresh    from 


and  is  kept  well  ventilated;  the  linen  is  invit- 
ing and  the  general  tone  and  conduct  of  the 
restaurant  such  as  to  connnand  res^ject.  The 
menu  covers  such  a  broad  field  along  the  lines 
of  catering  to  the  needs  of  the  inner  man  that 
the  tastes  and  caprices  of  all  are  complied  with 
in  a  most  satisfactory  way. 

In  keeping  with  long  established  usages, 
the  restaurant  is  open  night  and  day,  and  many 
find  in  this  a  big  convenience. 


THK   STOHV   OF   STRl'ATOil. 


121 


ED.  GROSSMAN  CIGAR  FACTORY 


Tlio  K(l.  Grossman  <^'i;jjar  Factory  at  208 
Main  street,  is  a  Streator  concern  tliat  iiiom- 
ises  devi'lopnitMit.  Tlie  firm  name  fonnerly 
was  Brannon  &  Grossman,  and  the  factory  at 
that  time  was  in  the  rear  of  the  J.  .  Brannon 
store,  but  recently  ^fr.  (jrossman  ac(|uired 
sole  ownership,  moved  into  larji^er  (piarters, 
doubled  the  numl)er  of  em])loves  and  at  pres- 
ent is  centerinir  his  whole  thouirht  aiul  enoriry 
in  the  makinir  of  a  line  of  cijj^ars  that  must  ap- 
)ieal  to  the  di^criiiiiiiatini;  smokers  r)f  tiiis  cit> 
and  of  the  iiei;;hijtiriii;uf  towns  and  cities  wiicrc 
his  jjoods  find  a  ready  market. 

In  five  cent  lines  Mr.  Grossman  is  cmpluisiz- 
ina-  the  --lU-n  Seal"  ami  "Tiie  .Moo>e,"  into 
which  he  is  jiuttinj;  in  tillers  and  wrai)pprs  tlic 
best  material  possible  consistent  with  a  hiuli 
f»rade  five  cent  article.  In  the  three  for  a 
<|uaitei"  and  stiai^^iit  ten  cent  r'iu;ai'  the  "Don 
(iusto"  is  his  tind  the  public's  faxdvite.  and  to 
the  lovers  of  a  bi^  smoke  with  ipudity  this  ci- 
par  appeals. 

Kd.  (irossman,  like  many  others  of  Strea- 
lOr's  substantial  men,  was  born  in  Gernuiny; 
that  was  'A7i  years  a^fo,  and  with  his  |>arents 
came  to  America  when  he  was  a  child.  Wiiiie 
still  a  youth  he  became  an  appreiitii-e  in  the 
ciii;ar-making  trade  and  when  mertring  into 
iianhood  was  looked  upon  as  a  skilled  artisan. 

At  the  aye  of  twent\.  willi  seveial  other 
Streator  younij;-  men,  "IM."  became  a  uu'inber 
of  tlie  Streator  Zouaves,  a  theatrical  or'i:aniza- 


tioii  formed  in  tiiis  city,  and  for  nearly  nine 
years  he  linked  his  fortunes  with  this  conii)any, 
duriufj  which  time  he  saw  much  of  America 
and  Kurn)»p. 


Ed.  Grossman. 

When  world  wanderiiifj  had  lost  its  attrac- 
tions anil  the  footli,a:lits  no  longer  possessed  a 
charm,  he  returned  to  America  and  Streator 
and  ajiiilied  himself  at  once  to  liis  trade.  His 
]iresent  position  gives  [iromise  of  an  active  and 
successful  business  career. 


F.  PLUMB'S  CENTRAL  PARK  ADDITION 


A  new  adtlition  by  i-'awcett  I'lumb  is  an 
event  in  Streator.  Real  estate  operators  sit  u]) 
and  take  notice  Ijecause  of  the  margins  they 
can  make  in  liandliiig  the  new  lots.  Home 
makei-s  take  a  lively  interest  because  in  buying 
of  F.  Plumb  they  get  in  on  the  gound  floor,  and 
can  buy  a  lot  at  bottom  prices  on  easy  pay- 
ments. The  last  addition  laid  otT  liy  Jiim, 
South  Park,  went  ofT  like  hot  cakes  and  lots 
that  he  sold  for  $200  cannot  now  be  bought  at 
$1,000. 

Central  Park  addition  is  Mr.  Plumb's  latest 
offering  and  is  the  last    piece  of  acre  property 


left  in  the  interior  of  tiie  city.  It  was  withheld 
from  settlement  for  years  after  the  town  had 
grown  up  around  it  on  all  four  sides,  and  is  the 
only  cJiance  left  to  get  a  lot  in  tlie  heart  of  the 
city  at  origiiuU  prices.  Any  additions  to  be 
sub-divided  hereafter  must  be  on  the  outskirts, 
and  involve  a  car  fare  or  a  long  walk  to  the  lot 
buyer. 

Central  Park  Addition  is  five  minutes  walk 
from  the  opera  house  corner,  right  at  the  edge 
of  the  East  Main  street  paving.  Arrangements 
have  l)een  made  to  pave  Main  street  to  the  far- 
ther end  of  the  addition    this  fall.    The    town 


122 


THE  STORY  OF  STRFATOR. 


has  grown  far  to  the  east  beyond  it,  and  this 
block  of  27  acres  is  surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
beautiful  homes. 

Public  Park  Reserved  in  Centre. 

The  addition  derives  its  name  from  the  fact 
that  Mr.  Plumb  has  reserved  a  full  city  block 
in  the  centre  of  the  plat  and  has  dedicated  it 
to  public  uses  as  a  park.  Already  a  large  num- 
ber of  quick-growing  shade  trees  have  been 
planted  in  the  park  and  throughout  the  addi- 
tion, and  soon  their  grateful  foliage  will  jnake 
pleasant  shade  for  mothers  to  rest  and  cliildren 


addition  will  repeat  the  experience  of  South 
Park,  and  no  more  lots  can  be  bought  from  the 
original  platter,  but  must  be  purchased  from 
second  or  third  hands  at  four  or  five  times  the 
present  lU'iee. 

The  Plumb  Policy. 

The  regular  Plumb  policy,  under  wliicli  two- 
thirds  of  the  lots  in  Streator  have  been  sold. 
will  be  continued  in  the  new  addition.  That 
policy  is:  A  small  i)ayment  down,  and  easy 
montlily  ])ayincnts,  with  perfect  assurance  that 
no  advantage  of  anv  sort  will  ever  be  taken  of 


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to  play  under.  The  city  has  taken  over  the 
park  and  has  begun  to  improve  it  as  part  of 
the  city  i^ark  system. 

An  Adequate  Sewer  System. 

Forewarned  by  i)ast  experiences,  Mr.  Plumb 
has  averted  the  expense  and  inconvenience  of 
torn  up  streets  by  putting  in  a  complete  sewer 
system  in  advance.  Every  street  is  i^rovided 
with  a  sewer  and  every  house  has  access  to  it. 

Though  only  recently  placed  on  the  market, 
a  half  dozen  substantial  homes  have  been  built 
and  occupied.  There  are  many  inquiries,  and 
no  doubt  it  will  be  only  a  short  time  until  this 


the  purchaser.  It  is  that  policy  pursued  for 
over  forty  years  that  has  made  Streator  a  town 
of  home  owners.  Under  it  forty-two  additions 
to  Streator  have  been  laid  out  by  Mr.  Plumb 
and  over  2,500  lots  sold,  not  one  of  which  has 
been  the  cause  of  dispute  between  buyer  and 
seller,  or  the  subject  of  adverse  forfeiture.  Mr. 
Plumb  expects  to  continue  doing  business  to  the 
end  of  the  chapter  on  these  lines;  and  invites 
attention  to  Central  Park  Addition,  which  he 
thinks  is  the  best  of  all  the  offerings  he  has 
made  to  Streator  in  his  forty  years  of  real  es- 
tate transactions. 


TRi:  sTonv  OF  STnr.VTOR. 


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124 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


FOREST  C  PETTINGELL,  WHOLESALER  OF  FLOUR  AND  FEED 


Forest  C.  Pettiugill,  the  wholesale  flour, 
feed  and  hay  man,  is  a  name  familiar  to  the  city 
of  Streator  and  is  associated  closely  with  the 
city's  activities. 

Mr.  Pettiugill  was  born  in  Newburyport, 
Massachusetts,  where  he  passed  the  earlier 
years  of  his  life  and  where  he  still  has  some 
property  interests,  but  to  him,  as  to  a  great 
number  of  New  England's  sons,  then  and  now, 
the  cry  and  promise  of  the  West  were  alluring, 
and  yielding  to  it  he  left  the  East  and  located 
in  Streator,  established  business,  built  a  home 
and  reared  and  educated  a  family  here. 

Recently  Mr.  Pettiugill  erected  a  big  ware- 
house on  the  corner  of  Vermillion  and  Bridge 
streets,  the  structure  is  one-story,  140x53  feet, 
constructed  of  Streator  paving  brick  that  will 
endure  through  the  centuries.  Inside  tlie  build- 
ing is  so  apportioned  and  arranged  as  to  ac- 
commodate every  need  of  his  business,  and  lo- 
cated as  it  is,  close  to  or  practically  in  the  busi- 
ness district,  and  yet  convenient  to  the  railroad 
freight  houses,  the  conditions  are  ideal. 

Mr.  Pettiugill  is  the  exclusive  agent  for  sev- 
eral of  the  highest  grade  brands  of  flour,  and 


the  quality  of  his  goods,  coujjled  with  the  close 
margin  of  profits,  with  which  he  is  content, 
has  enabled  him  to  attract  and  hold  trade  over 
a  wide  expanse  of  territory.      As  this     is  the 


12:^ 


only  exclusive  wholesale  house  in  these  particu- 
lar lines  in  Streator,  there  can  be  no  doubt  the 
volume  of  business  done  will  increase  from 
vear  to  vear  as  it  has  from  the  beginning. 


THE  WAGNER  BEAUTY  PARLORS 


The  history  of  Streator  would  not  be  com- 
plete without  some  appreciation  of  the  more 
gracious  and  refining  aspects  of  its  evolution. 
For,  as  Richard  Le  Geilliene  recently  said,  life 
is  not  all  iron  and  granite,  it  is  beauty  and  love 
and  service.  The  apostles  of  beauty  in  Strea- 
tor have  not  been  numerous,  but  they  have  been 
effective  and  loj^al. 

Miss  Emma  Wagner  is  the  pioneer  in  the 
art  of  the  aesthetic  expressed  in  the  science  of 
l^ersonal  adornment,  and  it  was  through  the 
opening  of  her  parlors  seven  years  ago  that 
women  became  conscious  of  their  obligations 
toward  personal  attractiveness  and  have  ever 
since  been  cultivating  their  sensibilities  in  this 
direction. 

In  Former  Times. 

Prior  to  the    opening  of    Miss    Wagner's 
beauty  parlors  and  during  the  first  months  of 
her  activities  women  were    ashamed  of    their 


awakened  consciousness,  and  came  and  went  by 
stealth,  afraid  of  being  laughed  at  and  made 
ridiculous.  Today  the  well-groomed  woman  is 
a  joy  to  all  beholders,  and  is  proudly  conscious 
of  l)er  inalienalile  rights  to  co-operate  with  na- 
ture in  making  Jierself  as  charming  as  possible. 
Oily  hair,  pimply  skin,  uncared  for  finger 
nails  and  an  unkempt  appearance  are  no  lon- 
ger regarded  as  badges  of  respectability,  but  of 
a  slovenly,  disordered  life,  and  the  woman  who 
makes  good  today  professionally  and  socially 
must  present  a  well  groomed,  attractive  exter- 
ior; it  is  her  most  valuable  asset  in  public 
esteem. 

The  Story  of  Her  Beginning. 

Miss  Wagner  has  always  been  proficient  in 
the  art  of  beautifying.  At  the  age  of  seven  it 
was  her  delight  to  dress  hair  in  tlie  latest  fash- 
ion, and  when  other  children  were  playing  with 
dolls  she  was  developing  an  expertness  in  hair 


THi:    STftTiV    i»l     ^!l!l    \T<»i:. 


125 


arraiifreiiuMit  wliidi  lias  culiiiiiiated  today  in  the 
reputation  of  beiu.if  the  most  proficient  artist 
in  this  line  in  the  state  outside  of  Chicago. 

Ifavinsr  sutTcred  for  several  years  with  a 
skin  eniptioii  which  no  experts  could  ever  cure, 
Miss  Warner  went  to  Chicafi;o  and  Ijegan  lier 
study  of  tlie  skin,  and  the  proper  nietiiods  of  re- 
storin*;  health  an<l  beauty  to  skin  tissues,  llav- 
iiiff  inaslenMJ  iicr  own  case,  she  l)ecame  inter- 
ested in  all  the  "general  aspects  of  the  art,  and 
after  faniiiiarizinir  herself  with  all  the  noted 
methods  in  voj,nic,  returned  to  Streator  to  put 
the  lu'iu'tits  of  her  traininix  into  practical  ser- 
vice foi-  the  use  of  her  patrons. 

Her  Personal  Equipment. 

There  are  at  )l^e^ent  timus;inds  of  well 
equipi)ed  beauty  parlors  throuifhout  the  state, 
Init  oidy  one  Kiiiiua  Wairner.  She  went  into  the 
work  for  tiie  love  of  it,  and  l>ecause  of  tliis  she 
is  one  of  the  most  expert,  conscientious  and  re- 
liable artists  in  her  itrofession.  She  has  all  the 
(Jerinan  thon)Uirhness,  tiieir  love  of  cleanliness 
and  order,  their  honesty  and  inteirrity  fif  jtur- 
pose,  their  loyalty  and  stal)ilit>'  of  cliara<'ter. 
She  ))ossesses  the  delicacy,  yet  firmness  of 
touch  wliich  is  so  essential  to  massasre  work; 
she  is  emiiu'ntly  |iro;^ressive,  fid!  of  the  mod 
ern  -pirit  of  pluck  and  enteri>rise;     she  is  hu- 


manely sym])athetic,  keenly  itituitivo  in  her 
jud.£inu'nts  and  would  rather  score  results  at 
any  cost  than  cousen-e  her  own  energies. 

Her  Shop. 

There  is  no  more  uji-to-date,  attractive,  con- 
venient, well  eipiipjicd  lieanty  parlor  outside  of 
Chica,2fo  than  ^liss  Wai^ner  oi)erates  for  the 
benefit  of  her  patrons.  All  the  electrical  appli- 
ances known  to  science  which  will  aid  in  the 
lirocessos  of  beauty  culture  are  at  her  disjiosal. 
She  is  always  addins;  to  her  ecpiipment.  Her 
stock  of  hair  goods,  face  creams,  jiowders  and 
lotions  are  of  the  best,  for  slie  will  endorse  no 
others.  An  attractive  assorfnient  of  hair  orna- 
inciits  and  novelties  have  Ix-en  added  recently 
to  her  stock,  making  everything  complete  and 
attractive. 

AVith  the  growth  of  Streator  this  business 
will  expand  in  projiortion  for  women  are  never 
going  to  return  to  their  slipshod  ways  of  yore. 
The  science  of  being  attractive  is  gaining  its 
votaries  from  every  walk  of  life,  and  it  is  a  safe 
prophecy  that  this  energetic,  self  reliant  young 
i)usiness  woman  will  see  her  fondest  dreams 
realized,  for  skill  and  beauty  and  efficiency  win 
out  every  tinu'.  and  these  are  her  I'liief  charac- 
teristics, her  guarantee  of  permanent  success. 


THE  WILLIAMS  HARDWARE  COMPANY 


The  cut  presented  herewith  shows  a  view  of 
the  Williams  Hardware  ('om]>any.  It  is  the 
latest  as  well  as  one  of  tlu-  largest  of  Streator's 
mercantile  structures,  and  it  represents  the  cul- 
mination of  a  line  of  mercantile  development 
that  began  in  ISS.").  In  that  year  Charles  H. 
Williams  came  to  Streator  from  his  father's 
farm,  about  ten  miles  northwest  of  town.  Had 
be  followed  the  lines  of  ancestral  jiredisposi- 
tion  Cliarles  wtuild  have  l)een  a  professional 
man,  a  brain-worker,  as  were  his  fathers  before 
him — a  long  line  of  Xew  England  scholars  and 
teachers  who  ran  back  to  Roger  "Williams.  His 
father.  Rinaldo  Williams,  one  of  the  finest  and 
gentlest  of  scholars,  and  one  of  the  most  re- 
vered names  in  the  history  of  the  county,  was 
County  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  many 
vears.  and  later  ])rinci}ial  of  the  Streator  High 
School. 

But  Charles  elected  the  hardware  business 
as  his  life's  calling,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
entered  the  hardware  store  of  Powers  Bros,  as 


clerk.  The  date  of  this  writing,  May.  liUl'.  finds 
him  still  in  the  same  store,  oidy  now  he  is  ])ro- 
prietor  where  27  years  ago  he  was  cl;>rk.  This 
fact  may  be  significant  of  the  (piiet  tenacity  of 
bis  nature,  which  has  in  it  little  of  the  restless- 
ness and  excitability  of  our  generation,  but 
which  without  ha.ste  and  without  noise  sticks 
to  its  task  till  it  is  thoroughly  mastered.  That 
Cliarles  H.  Williams  is  a  ]>ast  master  of  the  re- 
tail hardware  business  all  who  know  him  will 
testify.  Xot  only  is  it  attested  by  the  remark- 
able development  of  his  business,  which  now 
refpiires  the  largest  hardware  store  between 
Chicago  and  Decatur  for  its  accommodation, 
but  it  is  evidenced  by  the  suffrages  of  his  fel- 
low hardware  merchants,  who  for  two  years 
elected  him  president  of  the  Illinois  Retail 
Hardware  Association,  and  later  chose  him  for 
|iresident  of  the  National  Retail  Hardware  As- 
sociation, tlie  highest  honor  in  the  gift  of  his 
giiild. 

Needless  to  sav  that  the  business  talents  so 


126 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


conspicuously  recognized  by  liis  fellow  mer- 
chants find  their  highest  exercise  in  the  service 
of  his  own  peoi^Ie.  One  of  the  aims  most  con- 
sciously jmrsued  during  a  quarter  century  of 
mei'chandising  has  been  to  raise  the  volume  of 
business  to  a  point  where  it  would  justify  buy- 
ing goods  directly  from  the  manufacturer,  thus 
enabling  him  to  secure  a  liigher  quality  of 
goods  and  to  meet  the  competition  of  wholesal- 
ers and  jobbers.  This  goal  has  been  reached, 
and  the  Williams  Hardware  Company  is  now 
in  most  instances  able  to  sen'e  its  customers 
with  goods  bought  directly  from  the  manufac- 
turers under  the  most  favorable  tenns  and 
conditions. 


General  Roofing  Company.  It  is  the  heaviest 
dealer  and  contractor  in  Streator  for  tin  and 
sheet  metal  work,  and  it  is  a  centre  for  the  dis- 
tribution of  Pennsylvania  lubricating  oils  for 
the  state  of  Illinois. 

The  latter  promises  to  become  one  of  the 
greatest  departments  of  the  firm  for  the  use  of 
lubricating  oils  for  automobiles  and  other  pur- 
l)oses  is  greatly  on  the  increase.  The  rock  phos- 
phate branch  had  a  small  beginning,  for  farm- 
ers were  slow  to  awaken  to  the  need  of  artifi- 
cial fertilizers,  Imt  now  they  are  thoroughly 
roused  and  carloads  of  phosphate  ai-e  sent  by 
the  firm  to  many  states  of  the  union,  north  and 
south — Texas,  Missouri,  Virginia,  Kentuckv  as 


The  New  Store  and  Ware  Rooms. 


During  the  quarter  century  the  l)usiness  has 
greatly  broadened  from  the  simple  hardware 
store  of  27  years  ago.  It  now  includes  a  phos- 
phate dei^artment,  requiring  its  own  elevator; 
an  independent  oil  station  for  the  handling  of 
car  loads  of  Pennsylvania  kerosene  and  gaso- 
lene; a  magazine  for  the  handling  of  high  ex- 
plosives; a  department  devoted  espeeially  to 
window  glass,  and  polished  plate ;  and  a  storage 
warehouse  "where  thosuands  of  feet  of  space  is 
rented  to  patrons.  The  firm  is  also  the  whole- 
sale distributor  of  prepared  roofings    for    the 


well  as  Illinois  and  Indiana,  Wisconsin,  Michi- 
gan and  New  York. 

It  is  this  wide  exi^ansion  of  business  that 
has  necessitated  the  erection  of  the  new  build- 
ing which  the  firm  will  occupy  on  July  1,  1912. 
The  building  is  built  of  brick  and  reinforced 
concrete,  and  conforms  to  the  requirements  t  f 
the  New  York  Board  of  Underwriters.  It  is 
therefore  as  nearlj-  fire-proof  as  a  building  of 
this  class  can  be  made.  It  is  63x140  feet  in  size 
and  is  four  stories  high  with  basement.  Each 
floor  is  of  concrete  and  contains    8400    square 


THK   STOnV   OF   STUKATOn. 


127 


feet  of  floor  space.  It  is  drained  into  an  aban- 
doned mine  about  100  feet  Iteneatii,  and  throiisli 
it  finds  access  to  tlie  river.  The  basement  and 
first  floor  will  be  salesrooms;  the  second  floor 
will  be  a  supplementary  salesroom  and  tin 
shop;  the  tliird  floor  will  contain  surplus  stock; 
and  the  fourth  floor  commeicini  fireproof  stor- 
age and  surjilns. 

It  is  equipi)ed  with  an  up-to-date  vacuum 
cleaner  outfil,  and  will  he  jirovided  with  rest 
rofim,  ladies'  parloi-  and  licucial  waiting  room 


for  the  convenience  of  the  public  This  is  an 
idea  borrowed  from  the  de})artment  stores  of 
the  great  cities,  and  is  introduced  for  tlie  first 
time  by  Mr.  Williams  in  Streator.  Tliere  will 
be  lockers  provided  for  the  stcu'ing  of  wraps  or 
])ackages  which  visitors  may  desire  to  leave 
while  in  the  cily. 

\Vheu  the  liiiii  <'liangcs  from  its  old  to  its 
new  home  its  name  will  be  changed  from  Pow- 
ers i^  Williams  to  the  Williams  Hardware  Coni- 
])aiiy.     Dui-ing  tlie  years  that  have  jiassed  Mr. 


Williams  has  acquired  the  Powers  interests, 
and  since  he  is  practically  the  sole  owner,  it 
seems  fitting  that  the  name  of  the  firm  should 
show  this  fact.  Though  he  has  had  an  intense- 
ly active  business  career,  Mr.  Williams  has 
found  time  for  not  a  few  civic  and  social  duties, 
lie  has  been  for  seventeen  years  a  member  of 
the  school  board,  has  been  an  officer  of  the 
Commercial    Club,  is    now  a    director    of    the 


Chas 


Williams. 


Inion  National  P>auk  and  of  the  Western  Glass 
rom]iany,  and  ju-esident  of  the  Streator  Chau- 
tauqua Associatiiui.  His  yift  of  speech  is  nuich 
in  demand  in  publii'  and  social  gatlici'ings, 
ban(iuets  and  the  like,  where  his  fund  of  anec- 
dote and  his  drv  humor  are  alwavs  welcome. 


128 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


STREATOR  AQUEDUCT  CO. 

STORY  OF  ITS  BATTLE  WITH  BACTERIA  AND    ITS    FINAL    SOLU- 
TION OF  THE  WATER  PROBLEM. 


The  Streator  Aqueduct  Company  was  or- 
ganized on  Sept.  15,  1S86.  At  the  time  of  its 
establishment  there  were  two  possible  sources 
of  water  supply  for  the  city.  The  town  was 
seriously  divided  as  to  the  source  from  which 
water  should  be  taken,  one  party  under  the 
leadershij)  of  Aldenuan  John  C  Campbell  fa- 
voring the  Vennillion  Biver;  the  othei',  headed 
by  Dr.  Edwin  Evans,  the  local  scientific  au- 
thority, favoring  the  fresh  water  springs  north- 
east of  the  city  in  Otter  Creek  Township.  Af- 
ter months  of  controversy  the  party  of  Dr. 
Evans,  who  urged  the  unhealthiness  of  the 
river  water,  finally  prevailed;  and  by  action  of 
the  council  the  water  company  was  dii-ected  to 
obtain  its  supply  from  the  Otter  Creek  springs. 
The  plant  was  accordingly  located  north-east 
of  the  city,  but  after  a  year  of  service  the  sup- 
ply was  found  to  be  inadequate,  and  recourse 
was  had  to  the  only  remaining  snureo — the 
^"e^nillion  river. 

In  1888  the  Streator  Aqueduct  Coiujiany  be- 
gan to  take  steins  to  remove  its  plant.  Laud 
v/as  secured  on  the  river,  about  three  miles 
above  the  city,  the  site  of  the  present  plant.  At 
this  point  it  was  found  that  mill  riglits  were 
owned  by  Mr.  David  Defenbaugh,  which  car- 
ried with  them  perpetual  flowage  rights.  These 
were  purchased  by  the  comjiany  and  a  jilant 
erected.  In  1890  a  dam  was  built  at  a  cost  of 
$9,800,  witli  170  feet  of  roll  way.  This  proved 
adequate  until  1904,  when  the  increasing  de- 
mand for  water  made  it  necessary  to  raise  the 
dam  to  a  height  of  eleven  feet  and  four  inches 
above  its  base.  This  satisfies  present  needs, 
but  the  Aqueduct  Company  has  since  secured 
territoiy  and  flowage  rights  to  enable  them  to 
raise  the  dam  two  feet  higher,  which,  when 
built,  will  give  them  a  storage  sup[)ly  of  275,- 
000,000  gallons.  The  ])resent  consumption  of 
the  city  is  nearly  2,000,000  gallons  daily,  so 
the  new  elevation  will  give  them  over  one  hun- 
dred days'  supply — far  more  than  is  ever 
needed  under  prevailing  conditions  of  rainfall. 


Sufficient  for  City  of  50,000. 

But  the  company  is  not  satisfied  with  sup- 
plying the  present  need  of  Streator.  even  at 
its  maximum  demand.  "With  far  seeing  eye  it 
looks  forward  to  the  inevitable  growth  of  the 
city,  and  is  making  provision  for  it.  It  has 
gone  eleven  miles  up  the  river  and  there  pur- 
chased a  site  for  another  dam  and  impounding 
reservoir.  Flowage  rights  are  being  secured  of 
sufficient  extent  to  permit  the  erection  of  a  six- 
teen foot  dam.  When  erected  this  dam  will 
create  a  reservoir  that  will  hold  350,000,000 
gallons  of  water,  which,  added  to  the  present 
capacity,  will  be  adequate  to  the  needs  of  a  city 
of  50,000  people. 

Streator 's  Scattered  Area. 

One  of  file  unusual  features  of  the  water 
situation  in  Streator  is  caused  by  its  large  area. 
Thus  it  requires  46  miles  of  pipe  to  satisfy  the 
needs  of  its  3,800  water  consumers;  of  which 
there  are  37  miles  of  cast  iron  pipe  from  4  to 
20  inches  in  diameter,  and  9  miles  of  smaller  1 
to  2  inch  pipe.  Of  the  3,800  consumers  an  un- 
usual proportion  are  industrial  or  commercial 
users,  the  number  being  452.  The  yearly  rev- 
enue shows  this  proportion  is  still  more  strik- 
ing fashion.  Last  year  the  domestic  consumers 
paid  the  company  $26,000,  while  the  railroads 
and  industries  paid  $23,000,  being  nearly  one- 
half  the  revenue  from  those  soiirces. 

Supt.  Hugaans  is  authority  for  the  state- 
ment that  but  for  the  support  of  the  industrial 
and  conuuercial  users  the  company  would  not 
have  been  able  to  continue- in  business.  The 
city  pays  for  271  public  hydrants,  and  there 
are  15  private  hydrants.  In  addition  the  city 
receives  free  water  for  its  schools  and  other 
iniblic  buildings,  for  drinking  troughs,  display 
fountain  and  for  flushing  sewers  and  for  fire 
purposes.  The  .school  buildings  use  21,000,000 
gallons  annually,  and  it  is  estimated  that  four- 
teen i)er  cent  of  all  the  water  i)umi3ed  goes  for 
free  consumjition. 


THi:  STOIJV  OF  STRi:.\Tf»K. 


129 


The  Equipment. 
Tlic  nearly  li.f KM ).(!()( I  crallon.s  of  water  con- 
suiimmI  eat'h  day  is  prepared  and  pumped  by  a 
modern,  up-to-date  meelianical  equipment.  It  is 
lifted  from  tlie  intake  well  l)y  two  low  lift  oen- 
Irifuija]  jtuMips.  eacli  with  a  capaeity  of  :i,000,- 
000  irallDiis  daily.  By  the.se  tlie  water  is  lifted 
to  a  hei;,'ht  of  :',2  feet  and  deposited  v.\  the  set- 
tlint;:  basin,  where  it  receives  its  coagulants, 
and  remains  for  five  hours.  From  there  it  flows 
by  gravity  to  tlie  lilters,  from  wliicii  it  is  con- 
veyed to  the  olear  water  well,  which  holds  over 
a  million  gallons  of  Avater,  and  from  there 
inmi))ed  direct  to  the  city.  Two  Gaskell  jmmp- 
ing  engines,  one  of  :3,006,000  and  one  of  .5,000,- 


is  notoriou.sly  among  the  worst  streams  in  Illi- 
nois, and  it  was  this  knowledge  that  caused  the 
council  tliat  granted  tlie  water  franchise  to 
demand  that  the  company  get  its  supply  from 
()tter  Creek  springs,  as  before  stated.  The 
river  supply  in  its  raw  state  is  unquestionably 
bad,  a  fact  that  may  be  the  more  freely  admit- 
ted now  that  scientilic  advancement  has  made 
it  po.s.sible  to  absolutely  eliminate  all  elements 
dangerous  to  lioalth  or  comfort. 

Battle  with  the  Bacteria. 

The  existence    of  the    Streator    Aqueduct 

Company  lias  been  one  long  ])attle  against  the 

bacteria  and  the  mud  of  the   ^'ermillion   river. 

How  to  kill  the  germs  without  killing  the  peo- 


Water  Works  Power  House. 


000  gallons  daily  capacity,  send  the  city  its 
daily  sniiply  of  two  million  gallons,  with  ample 
margin  of  reser\e.  Power  is  furnished  by  a  bat- 
tery of  boilers  with  a  ca|»acity  of  450  horse 
power. 

Quality  of  Streator  Water. 

This  bare  meelianical  outline  gives  little 
idea  of  the  point  mo>t  vitally  interesting  to  the 
people  of  Streator,  namely,  the  preparation  of 
the  water  for  domestic  use.  It  has  long  been 
an  o))en  secret  that  the  (pudity  of  Streator's 
water  was  one  of  its  tenderest  points,  one  dan- 
gerous to  discuss  before  strangers  .such  as  this 
book  is  sujjposed  to  address.  It  may  as  well 
be  admitted,  however,  that  the  Vermillion  river 


pie  has  been  its  most  anxious  and  perplexing 
])reblem.  Now  that  the  problem  has  been 
solved,  it  is  able  to  review  its  effoi-ts,  if  not 
with  equanimity,  at  least  with  the  conscious- 
ness that  it  has  labored  earnestly,  conscien- 
tiously, and  with  as  much  success  as  the  larger 
cities  that  have  been  baffled  bj'  the  same 
problem. 

The  Mechanical  Filter. 

The  first  attemi^ts  to  deal  with  the  problem 
were  along  the  line  of  improved  filters.  The 
mechanical  filter  was  thought  to  be  the  solution 
of  the  long  vexed  problem,  and  in  1888  the 
Aqueduct  Company  i)ut  in  the  new  filtering 
system,  being  the  second  mechanical  filters  to  be 


130 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


installed  in  the  state  of  Illinois.  It  was  an  im- 
l^rovement,  but  it  was  not  perfect;  and  at  three 
different  periods  since  that  time  it  has  been 
found  necessary  to  rebuild  them  and  bring 
them  ui3-to-date.  At  the  present  time  there  are 
sixteen  pressure  filters,  each  containing  44  in- 
ches of  sand,  through  which  the  water  must 
percolate.  There  is  a  sand  bed  surface  of  1,200 
square  feet,  and  as  each  square  foot  is  figured 
to  filter  two  gallons  eveiy  minute,  it  will  be 
seen  tliev  have  a  filtering  capacity  of  over 
3,000.000  gallons  daily.  Those  filters  are  thor- 
oughly cleansed  of  their  impurities  every  24 
hours  by  the  forcing  through  them  of  air  and 
water  under  five  iiounds  pressure. 

The  Coagulants. 

The  filters,  however,  only  take  out  the  resi- 
.dual  dirt  and  impurities,  and  send  the  water 
on  to  the  consumer,  clean,  clear  and  palatable. 
The  heavy  work  of  clearing  the  fluid  of  its 
heavy  load  of  ^"ermillion  river  mud  is  done  in 
the  settling  basin  before  it  is  sent  to  the  filters, 
and  here  must  be  told  the  story  of  the  coagu- 
lants. There  are  times  of  flood  when  the  river 
water  is  nearly  black  with  mud. 

How  is  it  to  be  cleared? 

It  is  not  enough  to  turn  it  into  the  great  set- 
tling basin,  to  drive  it  over  265  feet  of  traveling- 
space  and  then  let  it  stand  for  five  hours,  as  is 
done  with  eveiy  gallon  of  water.  It  will  not 
settle  of  itself.  The  mud  must  be  helped  to  sep- 
arate from  the  water. 

How  do  they  he\p  it? 

They  pour  a  solution  of  alum  into  the  mud- 
dy water  just  as  it  flows  into  the  tank.  This 
alum  unites  with  the  alkali  in  the  water,  and 
this  combination  has  the  peculiar  ])ower  of  at- 
tracting the  mud  to  it,  and  the  weight  of  the 
particle  thus  formed  carries  it  down  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  settling  basin,  from  Avhieli  it  is  ]5er- 
iodically  washed  out.  But  it  has  been  found 
that  the  Vemiillion  stream  is  very  variable  in 
the  amount  of  alkiliiiity  it  contains,  and  there 
are  times  when  the  water  is  so  soft  that  there  is 
not  alkili  enough  to  unite  with  the  alum  to  cre- 
ate a  deposit.  These  occasions  are  rare,  how- 
ever, but  when  they  occur,  it  becomes  necessary 
to  add  to  the  water  enough  lime  solution  to  se- 
cure the  required  alkilinity. 

Is  the  Alum  Injurious? 

Like  many  others,  who  have  been  alarmed 
by  baking  powder  advertisements,  the  writer 
asked  Supt.  Huggans  if  the  alum  was  not  in- 
jurious to  the  health.    He  replied: 

"Undoubtedly  too  much  free    alum    would 


tend  toward  constipation  or  diseases  of  that 
kind,  but  there  is  absolutely  no  free  alum  what- 
ever in  the  water  after  it  leaves  the  pumping 
station.  When  the  alum  unites  with  the  alkili 
they  comi)letely  neutralize  each  other,  and  be- 
come something  else.  It  is  just  like  oxygen  and 
hydrogen,  whicli,  when  united,  become  water. 
People  should  get  it  out  of  their  heads  that 
there  is  alum  in  the  supply  pipe  just  because 
we  have  to  put  it  in  at  the  settling  basin.  It  is 
purely  imaginary.  Moreover  the  amount  we  use 
is  very  small,  on  an  average  not  more  than  one 
and  one-half  grains  per  gallon.  And  it  is  so 
exi:)ensive  that  our  interest  may  be  relied  on  to 
make  us  keep  it  down  to  the  mininmm.  But 
small  or  great,  no  jiart  of  it  gets  into  the  supply 
pipe,  for  it  is  wholly  neutralized  and  absorbed 
by  its  chemical  union  with  the  alkili.' 

The  New  Purifier. 

Up  to  1011  the  imi)rovements  above  de- 
scribed marked  the  farthest  advance  in  the 
Aqueduct  Company's  preparation  and  treat- 
ment of  water.  By  coagulation  and  filter  they 
had  separated  the  impurities  thoroughly  and 
the  bacteria  partially,  from  the  water.  It  rep- 
resented a  great  deal  of  outlay  and  effort,  but 
still  it  fell  short  of  a  satisfactoiy  solution.  The 
bacteria  were  separated  by  the  coagulum,  but 
they  were  not  killed;  and  there  was  always  the 
haunting  fear  that  some  typhoid  germ  or  colon 
bacillus  would  get  by  the  separator  and  infect 
the  user. 

The  year  1911  brought  the  latest  improve- 
ment in  the  treatment  of  watei\  Experiments 
had  been  made  for  several  years  to  find  a  sat- 
isfactory germicide  tliat  would  be  commercial- 
ly available.  Hcientists  had  noticed  the  pres- 
ence of  chlorine  gas  in  artesian  waters  that 
were  free  from  bacteria.  Acting  on  this  hint  a 
number  of  tests  were  made  with  bleaching 
powder,  which  is  composed  of  chlorine  gas  and 
lime,  and  which  is  callel  hypochlorite  of  lime. 
The  tests  proved  a  remarkable  sucess,  and  in- 
side of  five  years  New  York,  Philadelphia,  St. 
Louis,  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati,  Toronto,  most  of 
the  large  cities  in  fact,  were  using  the  new 
agent.  After  waiting  until  the  new  discovery 
had  i^assed  the  experimental  stage,  the  Aque- 
duct Company  in  October,  1911,  put  in  the  hy- 
po-ehlorite  of  lime  treatment  with  most  satis- 
factory results.  Supt.  Huggans  feels  assured 
that  they  are  now  able  to  make  Streator  water 
immune  from  disease  breeding  geiins,  and  in 
August  of  this  year  a  new  coagulation  basin 
vith  a  capacity  of  350,000  gallons  is  to  be  built. 


THi:  STOH^    «»K  STr5KAT«H{. 


131 


wlierc  tlio  hypoflilorite  and  coagulauts  can  be 
applied  iu  the  most  exact  and  scieutitic  manner. 

Labratory  Tests. 

A  labratory  lias  been  installed  at  the  plant 
under  the  direetion  of  the  State  Water  Survey, 
with  ecjnipment  to  make  adequate  chemical  and 
mieroscojiic  tests.  Chief  Kiiyineer  Haliih  llug- 
frans  has  taken  a  course  under  the  direction  of 
the  State  Water  Survey,  and  is  able  to  make 
correct  analysis  and  examinations  of  the  water 
whenever  re(|uire(l.  A  daily  record  is  kept, 
wliich  shows  the  condition  of  raw  and  jmrilied 
water  as  to  its  bacteria,  turbidity,  alkilinity, 
color  and  the  vohnne  and  weight  of  coacfulant 
and  bleach  used.  By  the  use  of  the  laboratory 
tests  the  exact  number  of  bacteria  can  be  deter- 
mined with  accuracy  and  tiieir  dan,y;erousness 
to  health  can  be  ascertained.  The  tests  are 
chemical,  microscopic  and  thennal  and  are  ac- 
eej)ted  as  scieiitilically  autlioritative  on  the 
.subject  of  infection  bearinjir  Rcrms. 

A  Sample  Test. 

On  April  L'4.  IIUl'.  a  period  of  flood,  there 
were  found  to  be  .■iL'd.dlMI  bacteria  in  20  droits  of 
water.  After  treatment  the  same  water  showed 
only  S.OOO  bacteria,  and  no  iras  fonuers.  "Xo 
pras  formers"  is  a  sijjnilicant  phrase  in  a  water 
analysis,  and  means  that  it  is  free  from  disease 
breeding  j^crms.  Tliere  may  still  lie  bacteria 
present,  but  they  are  harade.ss. 

How  is  the  test  made? 

A  sam])le  of  the  water  is  put  into  ji  test  tube 
pontaiiiiiiy:  a  broth  iu  wlii<'h  the  .ii:enn.-;  may  in- 
cubate. The  lube  is  jmt  in  a  heater,  its  tem- 
})erature  raised  ifradually  to  100  degrees,  about 
the  heat  of  the  body.  If  there  are  any  disea.se 
srerms  present  they  will  consume  the  broth  in 
their  reproduction  and  growtii  and  in  the  space 
left  by  the  broth  thus  consumed  a  gas  will  be 
fonued.  This  gas  when  measured  on  a  scale 
will  show  the  ]>resence  and  amount  of  bacteria. 
If  there  is  no  gas  in  the  tube,  it  may  be  as- 
sumed with  scientific  certainty  there  are  no  ty- 
phoid or  colon  bacilli  pre.sent.  The  result  can 
also  be  checked  up  on  the  microscope  to  make 
assurance  doubly  sure.  ^feasured  by  these 
rig(u-ous  scientilic  tests,  the  water  record  of  the 
Streator  A(|ueduct  Company  has  shown  the 
significant  talismanic  synd)ol  "No  Gas  Form- 
ers" for  the  entire  year  of  1912.  and  so  it  feels 
able  to  assure  itself  and  the  ])ublic  that  there 
are  al)solutely  no  deleterious  bacteria  present, 
and  that  the  problem  of  healthy  water  for 
Streator  is  solved. 


Unremovable  Tastes  and  Odors. 

For  those  who  may  have  misgivings  about 
the  healthfulness  of  tliis  clieniicalit  is  only  ne- 
cessary to  state  that  there  can  be  no  possible 
danger  in  the  use  of  hypochlorite  of  lime.  Long 
before  it  could  jiroduce  a  pathological  effect  its 
taste  and  smell  would  be  so  bad  that  no  one 
could  drink  it;  but  even  then  it  would  be  harm- 
less. The  bulletin  of  the  state  sui'vdy  says  that 
nothing  less  than  three  parts  per  million  per 
gallon  of  chlorine  can  be  tasted,  and  at  present 
the  company  is  only  using  13-100  of  a  part  per 
million.  If  ever  by  any  mischance,  however, 
the  con.sumer  gets  a  taste  or  smell  of  chlorine, 
he  may  be  sure  that  it  is  not  in  the  least  dan- 
gerous. Tamarack  water,  caused  by  the  steep- 
ing of  the  fluid  in  leaves,  grass  and  otlier  vege- 
tation and  especially  prevalent  during  the  melt- 
ing of  snows  in  the  spring,  cannot  be  freed  of 
its  odor  or  taste  by  any  known  jirocess.  But 
its  bacterial  danger  can  be  eliminated,  and 
whenever  melting  snows  bring  down  water 
soaked  with  the  taste  of  leaves  and  grass,  it 
may  still  lie  used  with  the  assurance  that  it  is 
not  lianufnl  to  health.  In  any  event  this  bad 
taste  and  odor  can  occur  l)uf  i-arely  in  Streator. 

The  State  Water  Survey. 

While  the  Aqueduct  Company  has  a  thor- 
oughly competent  service,  yet  it  is  not  wholly 
dejiendeiit  on  it.  It  is  subject  to  visits  froiu  the 
inspectors  of  the  Slate  Water  Survey,  who  may 
descend  on  it  without  notice  at  any  tijue  to 
make  examinations,  much  after  the  fashion  of 
bank  examiners.  It  is  also  entitled  to  call  on 
the  experts  of  the  State  Water  Survey  at  any 
time  when  umisual  jiroblems  or  conditions  call 
for  .scientific  counsel.  This  privilege  it  has 
freely  availed  itself  of  in  the  past  whenever  the 
caprices  of  the  Vermillion  river  brought  a  prob- 
lem not  before  experienced  and  calling  for 
expert  advice. 

In  this  article  the  company  has  through  the 
editor  of  this  volume  undertaken  to  state  frank- 
ly and  fully  the  probl(>ms  of  Streator's  water 
su]iply,  the  efforts  it  has  made  to  solve  them, 
and  the  measure  of  success  that  has  finally 
crowned  its  efforts.  It  believes  that  the  qual- 
ity of  the  water  today  is  absolutely  safe,  sani- 
tary and  healthful,  and  that  no  condition  can 
arise  in  the  river  to  make  it  less  safe.  It  is  glad 
after  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  service  to  give 
the  assurance  that  both  in  quality  and  quantity 
the  water  sujijily  of  Streator  is  safe,  satisfac- 
tory and  adequate  to  the  needs  of  a  city  of 
.50,000  inhabitants.  It,  moreover,  cherishes  the 
hojie  that  in  any  matter  of  difference  about  the 


132 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


cost  of  supplying  the  city  and  consumers  with 
water,  an  imj^artial  commission  may  soon  be 
appointed  by  the  state  legislature  to  which  all 
disputed  questions  may  be  referred.  Lleantime 
the  plant  of  the  eomijany  is  ojien  to  visitors, 
and  the  jjublic  is  invited  to  inspect  the  works 
of  the  company  at  its  convenience. 

Superintendent  D.  A.  Huggans. 

A  word  al)Oi;t  the  man  who  has  been  in 
charge  of  the  plant  for  all  these  years  may  be 
of  interest.  Davidson  A.  Iluggans  was  born  of 
Scottish  parents  in  New  York  City  in  1856.  He 
came  to  Streator  at  four  years  of  age,  went  into 
the  coal  mines  at  thirteen,  and  remained  there 
until  twenty-five.  Having  a  genius  for  me- 
chanics, he  was  promoted  out  of  the  pit,  and 
took  charge  of  engines,  pumps  and  boilers  of 
the  mine.  On  August  17,  1886  he  accepted  em- 
ployment from  tlie  Streator  Aqueduct  C*om- 
pany,  then  establishing  its  plant  here.  In  July, 
1887,  he  was  placed  in  charge  and  has  been  at 
its  head  ever  since. 


Like  most  of  the  early  miners  of  Streator 
who  have  risen  to  commanding  positions,  Mr. 
Huggans  was  self  educated.  He  took  the  cor- 
respondence course  from  the  Scrantcm  School, 
and  received  his  diplomas  in  steam  engineer- 
ing and  hydraulic  engineering.  He  has  served 
as  member  of  the  j^ublic  school  board  for  foiir- 
teen  years,  and  on  the  high  school  board  for 
five  years.  He  served  the  township  as  its  su- 
pervisor for  four  years,  is  prominent  in  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  and  has  been  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  Church  of  Good  "Will. 
Mr.  Huggans  is  regarded  everywhere  as  one  of 
the  strong  and  forceful  characters  of  the  town, 
a  man  of  unswerving  loyalty  and  integrity, 
ti'ue  to  his  convictions  and  his  friends  iTav- 
i)ig  known  opposition  he  is  a  good  fighter; 
liavina'  known  hard  work  he  is  considcMle  to 
tlie  worker;  having  known  lowly  station  his 
lieart  goes  out  to  those  who  are  still  "straggling 
in  the  liaixl  places  of  life,  and  with  it  goes  a 
strong,  generous  helping  hand. 


streator   Aqueduct    Dam. 


THi:  STOHV  OK  STKi;\T<)i;. 


133 


LOCAL    MEN    OF   MARK 


IN  THIS  SECTION  ARE  PRESENTED    A    FEW    PEN    PICTURES 
STREATOR'S  GALLERY  OF  NOTABLES. 


IN 


Evor}-  life  lias  a  story;  every  face  has  a 
picture.  It  is  tlic  task  of  the  artist  to  make  the 
story  interesting!:;  the  ])ieture  a  speakins,'  like- 
ness. To  do  this  111'  iinist  select  his  materials; 
omit  the  thill  detail  that  (hitters  the  picture; 
seize  the  salient,  sij^nificant  thinjj;  that  gives 
it  the  hreath  of  life,  the  touch  of  reality.  He 
must  have  iiisii;:ht  plus;  sympathy  ail-compre- 
hending. Insight  and  sym])athy  will  see  only 
tile  good,  for  only  the  good  is  positive.  Kvil  is 
negative,  nescient;  it  is  only  the  shadow.  And 
wlio  wants  to  paint  shadows.' 

It  is  in  tills  spirit  that  tiie  ])ortraits  in 
this  volume  have  heen  sketched.  There  may  be 
liiose  who  view  the  suli.jects  treated  herein  at 


such  close  range  that  they  will  see  nothing  but 
defects;  and  these  will  uiiss  the  familiar  moles 
and  pimples  in  these  pictures.  They  are  left 
out  so  as  not  to  distract  attention  from  the 
positive  and  vital  trutii  that  the  life  stands  for. 
What  we  dislike  in  an  aiii)reciation  is  not  praise 
but  falsehood.  The  ai)preciatit)n  must  he  true, 
else  it  is  ofl'ensive.  The  artist  who  is  tit  for  his 
work  must  have  the  eye  to  see  the  gleam  of  the 
true  in  very  subject,  and  .sufficient  masteiy  of 
his  medium  and  tools  to  release  and  reveal  it. 
Failing  to  see  the  glint  and  gliiiimer  of  beauty, 
lie  must  reject  the  subject;  and  on  no  account 
degrade  his  brush  to  the  paintings  of  darkness 
and  defect. 


OSCAR  B.  RYON 


The  highest  public  jiosition  held  by  any 
citizen  of  Strcator  at  this  writing  is  that  occu- 
])ied  Ity  Mr.  U.  U.  Kyon.  Measured  by  magni- 
tuile  of  its  scoi)e  and  largeness  of  its  opportun- 
ity, it  is  doubtless  the  most  imiiortant  office 
ever  held  by  a  citizen  of  this  city. 

The  ollice  is  non-political.  There  is  none 
like  it.  It  has  no  antecedents,  and  no  prece 
dents.  It  may  be  fairly  said  that  it  was  cre- 
ated for  ^fr.  "l\yon.  That  is,  it  waited  for  its 
establisliment  until  a  man  pos.se.ssing  his  pe- 
culiar talent.s,  training,  and  experience  could 
be  found  to  fill  it.  It  is  within  the  writer's 
knowledge  that  for  several  years  he  has  had  ur- 
gent offers  to  accept  service  in  this  interest, 
but  not  until  recentlv  was  the  office  given  such 
definite  shape  that  he  felt  justified  in  accepting. 

What  is  the  office? 

It  has  a  name,  but  it's  name  doesn't  explain 
it.  As  I  view  it,  Mr.  Kyon's  new  business  is  to 
rationalize  the  tire  insurance  system  of  Amer- 
ica, and  to  interpret  it  to  the  people  of  the 
count rv.    As  it  now  stands  that  system  is  torn 


into  a  thousand  conflicting  interests,  big  and 
'ittle;  companies  fighting  each  other,  agents 
fighting  the  comiianies  and  state  legislatures 
fighting  all  of  them.  Mr.  Kyon  is  to  be  media- 
tor between  those  interests,  and  his  efforts  will 
be  to  bring  economy,  efficienc.y,  rationality  into 
a  fire  insurance  situation  that  is  notoriously  the 
worst  in  the  world. 

How  will  he  do  it? 

One  of  his  tasks  will  be  to  get  state  legisla- 
tures to  adopt  rational  and  uniform  laws,  and 
stop  regarding  insurance  companies  merely  as 
subjects  for  hostile  legislation.  His  still  bigger 
task  will  be  to  so  refomi  and  rationalize  the  in- 
surance practice  itself  that  the  com])anies  will 
cease  to  i)rovoke  the  hostilities  they  complain 
of.  And  biggest  of  all,  his  function  will  be  to 
educate  the  iiublic  on  the  subject  of  fire  preven- 
tion, so  that  the  enormous  fire  waste  which  is 
the  worst  factor  in  the  complex  situation,  may 
be  reduced. 

An  important  position,  is  it  not!  Few 
greater  in  the  country. 


134 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


It  has  been  said  elsewhere  that  one  of  the 
pleasant  uses  of  this  book  is  to  reveal  to  each 
other  the  men  of  Streator  who  are  hidden  by 
an  excess  of  nearness.  The  editor  has  taken  the 
liberty,  without  consulting-  Mr.  Byou,  of  pre- 
senting him  as  a  si^ecial  example  of  this  defect 
of  local  perspective.  In  the  minds  of  the  dis- 
cerning there  is  no  doubt  that  the  new  positions 
created  by  "big  business"  are  more  important 
than  those  of  loolitics;  yet  the  title  of  Governor 
of  Illinois  fills  a  bigger  place  in  the  j^ublic  eye 
than  would  Governor  of  Fire  Insurance,  even 
though  the  latter  might  mean  dollars  to  the 
people  where  the  former  means  cents.  Mr.  Eyon 
as  Manager  of  the  Bu- 
reau of  Publicity  and 
Education  for  the  fire 
insurance  interests  has 
stepi^ed  into  a  front  po- 
sition among  the  "big 
business"  chiefs  of 
America,  and  his  op- 
portunities for  public 
service  are  immeasur- 
able. 

His      progress      has 
been  natural.    Long  an 
insurance  man  and  law- 
yer, he  has  been  special 
counsel  for    the    insur- 
ance department  of  the 
state,   and    earned    his 
greatest    reputation   as 
attorney    for   the    Illi- 
nois fire  insurance  com- 
mission.   Pie   wrote   its 
report,  which  is  regard- 
ed as  one  of  the  ablest 
studies      of     insurance 
practice  extant.    He  is 
also  an  expert  on  build- 
ing and  loan    law,    and 
is  the  author  of  the  Illi- 
nois Building  and  Loan  Law  of  1898.     Always 
active  in  fSti-eator  matters,  he  was  for  several 
years  secretary  of  the     Improvement  Associa- 
tion, of  the  High  School    Board,    and     of  the 
Chautauqua  Association.     A  versatile  mind,  a 
brilliant  conversationalist,  a  genial  humorist, 
his  talents  are  in  demand  at  all  kinds  of  events, 
serious  or  gay,  whether  at  a  banquet  table,  a 
social  function  of  at    a  convention   of  business 
or  professional  men;  and  in  all  he  acquits  him- 
self in  a  manner  to  please,  to  persuade,  to  en- 
tertain or  to  instruct. 

Oscar  Eyon  was  born  in  Ogle  County,  Illinois, 
^in  1858,  came  to  Streator  at    an  early  age,  at- 


tended its  graded  schools,  and  was  graduated 
from  its  high  school.  He  finished  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago,  studied  law  in  Streator,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1881.  Altliough  his 
main  office  is  now  in  Chicago,  his  business  con- 
tinues in  Streator,  and  his  home  is,  and  will 
lirobably  remain,  here. 


THOAIAS  W.  McVETY 

MINISTER. 


Oscar  B.  Ryon. 


No  study  of  the  life  of  a  community  would 
be  complete  that  left  out  of  account  the  factors 

that  make  fov  morality 
and  right  living.  The 
deepest  forces  that  en- 
ergize the  activities  of 
a  city  lie  beneath  the 
surface,  in  the  hearts 
and  wills  of  the  jieo- 
ple,  and  these  draw 
their  nourishment  and 
strength  from  those 
hidden  and  imseen  Re- 
alities which  lie  at  the 
root  of  being.  It  has 
been  easy  to  describe 
and  chronicle  the  busi- 
ness activities  of  the 
town,  for  tliey  lie  ob- 
vious and  easy  to  be 
read  on  the  open  page 
of  its  achievement,  but 
the  faith,  the  ho))e,  the 
courage  that  inspire 
tliem — whence  did  they 
spring  ? 

Deep  out  of  the  Ages 
they  arose,  rooted  in 
those  eternal  verities 
which  in  all  times  have 
been  the  substance  of 
religion.  Streator,  with  its  restless  activity, 
with  its  eager  striving  after  material  success, 
seems  on  its  face  less  devoted  to  things  eternal 
than  some  older  cities,  but  its  heart  is  fed  fj'om 
the  same  Source  of  Power,  though  it  proclaims 
not  its  name  so  loud.  And  its  manifestations 
of  religion  is  different  from  that  of  fonner 
days.  It  seeks  to  express  itself  in  terms  of  life 
rather  than  in  terms  of  doctrine,  in  personality 
rather  than  in  form. 

.  This  is  why  Thomas  W.  ^IcVety  has  come  to 
be  the  conspicuous  representative  of  religion 
in  Streator  that  he  is.  It  is  because  he  has  em- 
bodied his  i-eligion  in  his  life,  because  it  flows 


TFTF  STORY  OF  STISKATOn. 


135 


through  him  not  alono  in  the  pulpit,  but  in 
warm,  personal  contact  witli  his  fellow  men 
through  all  the  days  and  hours  of  the  week.  In 


Tlioiiias  W.   McVety. 

Ilim  ii'liicioii  is  a  vitalized  liuiiuin  foreo.  pouring 
throiigii  iiini  in  a  lite  yivinii'  strcaiM.  in  the  <Mir- 
dial  iiand-sliakc,  lln'  wai-miiiL:-  -mile,  tlio  irenial 


T.  W.  McVety  is  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  but  he  is  more.  As  Bishop 
Westcott,  of  Durham,  was  called  "Everybody's 
Bishop,  so  may  McVety  be  called  Everybody's 
Minister."  He  is  the  pastor  of  the  unchurched. 
If  a  sinner  dies,  a  gambler  or  liquor  dealer,  who 
is  called  to  say  the  last  words?  Why  McVety, 
of  course.  He  indulges  in  no  false  eulogies, 
but  neitlier  does  he  harrow  the  mourners;  with 
sane,  hoi)el'nl,  tender  words  about  life  and  death 
he  leaves  the  sinner  to  the  mercy  of  God,  and 
from  the  living  he  takes  not  away  the  consola- 
tion of  whatever  was  good  and  tnie,  and  noble 
in  the  life  that  has  gone  out.  Out  of  sixty-six 
funeral  services  Iield  last  year,  over  fifty  of 
them  were  for  persons  not  members  of  his 
cliurch.  And  at  the  sick  bed,  amid  scenes  of 
ailiiction.  wherever  trouble  touclies  human  life, 
then'  at  the  ring  of  tlie  telephone  will  be  found 
the  helping  lumd  of  ^ic\'ety,  and  his  healthy, 
hearty,  human  personality. 

In  days  of  fierce  denominational  rivalry  he 
suffers  not  the  narrowing  of  vision  which  be- 
fogs littler  men.  He  fears  not  to  let  his  ener- 
gies go  out  to  otiier  causes,  even  if  they  call  for 
money  from  his  own  members.  So  within  a 
month  of  this  writing  lie  was  the  leader  in  the 
raising'  of  funds  for  the  completion  of  the  Sal- 


Mvlhud.^:    ^i----'J. 


iiurch. 


sympatliy  that  spends  itself  alike  on  Jew  and 
gentile,  tlie  churched  and  the  unchuiched — all 
who  can  give  or  receive  human  kindness. 


vation  Armv  building,  and  with  lay  help  he 
raised  $4,500  in  five  days.  A  few  years  ago  he 
raised  $10,000  for  the  Deaconess  Hospital,  Pe- 


136 


THE  STORY  OF  STRKATOR. 


oria,  and  about  the  same  time  raised  $9,000  in 
Streator,  with  the  help  of  his  official  boax'd,  and 
put  his  church  out  of  debt.  He  has  been  the 
chief  stay  of  the  Chautauqua  movement  among- 
the  ministers,  and  through  storm  and  shine 
has  been  its  optimistic,  energetic  and  sturdy 
supporter.  Last  year  he  was  its  platform  man- 
ager, and  is  now  its  chairman  of  i^rogramme. 
For  five  years  he  conducted  single-handed  the 
Chautaucjua  at  Galesburg,  and  turned  the  profit 
into  the  church. 

The  work  of  such  a  minister  is  no  sinecure. 
Turning  out  two  sermons  a  Sundaj' — sei'mons 
with  brain  and  heart  stuff  in  them — numerous 
other  addresses  at  home  and  out  of  town,  fu- 
neral sermons,  prayer  meetings,  society  and 
business  meetings,  pastoral  calls — 1,300  of  them 
last  year — McA'ety  has  surely  a  strenuous  life. 
He  has  a  magnificent  church  building,  seat3 
1,600  people,  which  is  given  freely  to  proper 
public  uses.  The  church  has  a  membership  of 
more  than  six  hundred,  over  two-thirds  of 
whom  have  joined  since  McYety  came  to 
Streator. 

He  was  bom  in  Sydenham,  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, in  184ti,  and  took  his  degree  at  Toronto 
University.  Joined  the  Central  Illinois  Confer- 
ence in  1885,  and  has  filled  its  best  charges — 
Pontiac,  Normal,  Kankakee,  Peoria,  Gralesburg, 
Streator  .  He  has  been  here  nine  years  and  has 
justified  the  change  in  the  pastoral  tenure,  for 
his  long  stay  has  made  him  the  force  in  the  city 
that  he  is.  He  is  Trustee  of  the  Deaconess  Hos- 
pital, Peoria,  Visitor  of  Wesleyan  University, 
Bloomington,  Conference  Examiner  for  15 
years,  and  has  received  the  degree  of  B.  D., 
M.  A.,  Ph.  D.,  and  as  this  is  being  written.  Doc- 
tor of  Divinity.  But  he  wears  his  scholastic 
title  .suggested  in  this  article — "Everybody's 
Minister." 


J.  C.  BARLOW 


The  histoiy  of  real  estate  development  in 
Streator  could  not  be  written  without  including 
the  name  of  J.  C.  Barlow.  For  a  quarter  of  a 
century  he  has  been  a  striking  figure  in  real  es- 
tate movements,  and  an  aggressive  and  con- 
spicuously successful  operator.  Incidental  to 
his  real  estate  operations  he  has  been  an  exten- 
sive builder  of  houses,  and  a  promo  tor  of  the 
growth  of  the  city.  He  has  always  been  a 
prominent  worker  in  the  various  societies,  un- 
der different  names,  for  the  development  of 
the  city;  has  been  active  in  the  location  of  fac- 


tories, or  in  any  line  of  effort  calculated  to  up- 
build the  material  welfare  of  the  town.  An  in- 
tense and  aggressive  personality,  he  has  made 
his  power  felt  in  any  direction  that  called  for 
liis  effort.  At  all  times  he  has  stood  ready 
with  donations  of  money  or  land  to  assist  manu- 
facturing or  other  projects  that  appealed  to  him 
as  calculated  to  build  up  the  town. 

Commenting  on  this  fact  Mr.  Barlow  re- 
marked: "Yes,  it  is  true  I  have  always  stood 
ready  to  do  my  share  for  Streator  with  money, 
land  or  personal  eff'ort,  but  please  observe  that 
I  ask  no  credit  for  it.  I  have  had  large  real  es- 
tate interests  here,  and  I  have  always  felt  tliat 
anything'  spent  in  upbuilding  the  town  was  an 
investment  and  that  some  day  it  would  all  come 
back  to  me.    I  suppose  most  men  are  influenced 


J.  C.  Barlow. 

by  similar  motives,  and  I  want  no  undeserved 
bouquets  for  what  I  have  done  for  the  upbuild- 
ing of  Streator.  This  is  my  home.  I  expect  to 
end  my  days  here,  and  it  is  natural  I  should 
want  to  see  it  prosper.  To  this  end  I  am  will- 
ing now,  as  in  the  past,  to  devote  my  very  best 
efforts  and  services.  But  please  let  there  be 
no  flowery  eulogies  in  your  "write-up"  of  me. 
Put  me  down  simply  among  the  men  of  Strea- 
tor who  have  done  their  best  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  city." 

Mr.  Barlow's  wish  will  be  respected;  and, 
indeed  his  deeds  have  carved  his  name  deeper 
on  the  map  of  Streator  than  could  any  expres- 
sions of  the  writer,  however  laudatory.  He  be- 
gan operating  in  real  estate  in  1882,  and  his 
first  experiments  were  in  buying  lots  and  build- 


THi:  STf)r!\    <H'  STKi:  \TOI{. 


137 


iufr  woikiiion'.s  houses  on  them,  afterwards 
selling  tlieni  on  monthly  payments.  This  sup- 
plied a  need  in  a  fast  growing  town,  and  be- 
came very  profitaljle.  lie  then  began  the  ac- 
(|uirem(':it  of  busiu('-;s  property,  and  became 
owner  or  ]>nrtner  in  fifteen  lioidings,  being  the 
largest  individual  owner  of  ]\rain  street  prop- 
erty in  the  city.  He  became  a  sub  divider  of 
acre  jjniiicrty,  and  laid  out  live  imiwrtant  ad- 
ditions, most  of  wiiicli  lie  has  sold  o(f  in  lots. 
lie  has  also  worked  off  150  acres  in  one  and 
two-acre  tracts,  all  rejiresenting  a  series  of  op- 
eratiniis  of  large  scope  and  value. 

The  otal.lisliiiH'iit  of  the  :Motor  Car  Works 
and  tiie  Metal  Stamiiiiig  Company  are  due  to 
the  money  and  credit  furnished  by  Mi:  Barlow, 
lie  has  now  retired  from  active  coimection  with 
tliem.  but  it  sliduld  lie  remcuibcred  that  what- 
ever they  accompiisii  fni-  Streator  will  be  in 
large  measure  due  to  Mr.  IJarlow's  contribution 
— which  may  involve  a  serious  sacrifice. 

.1.  C.  B.nrlnw  was  Ixtrn  in  Middleporl.  Ohio,  in 
ISJS,  jiiid  removed  to  a  farm,  handed  down 
from  revolutionary  ancestors,  near  Oallipol's. 
Ohio,  in  iuf'.tn'v.  lie  staid  on  I'le  ";'vm  un*il 
]!*,  aiKi  it  wa>  wiieu  leavMig  for  Tlliiuiis  that  'le 
li'-^t  i-aw  a  r.iilroad  'rain.  IK-  "i.lered  ii:Jo  par:- 
uersliip  with  his  hri)t]icr,  I?.  S.  liarlnw.  in  the 
>hoe  busiue-s  in  Pekiu.  Illinois,  and  in  1874 
m()\t>d  ti>  Streatnr  and  cnnrnmed  in  the  same 
line  i>f  liusincss.  After  aliout  eigiit  years  he 
liranciied  into  the  real  estate  business,  which,  as 
before  staled,  became  his  life  work. 


NATHANIEL  McINTYRE 

PIONEER. 


It  is  fitting  that  "The  Story  of  Streator" 
should  contain  a  recor<l  of  the  life  of  one  of 
tliose  ])ionccrs  of  llic  ]irairic  whicji  the  early 
days  of  Illinois  ]»roduccd,  and  whose  like  we 
shall  not  look  on  again.  Such  a  life  was  that 
of  Xathaniel  Mtdntyre,  who  sjient  most  of  his 
days  on  his  farm  in  Allan  Township,  east  of 
Streator,  l)ut  who  came  to  tiie  city  in  the  clos- 
ing years  of  his  life.  lie  was  born  of  Scottish 
])arents  near  Colerain,  Ireland,  in  183-1,  and  died 
in  Streatoi-  in  1!)()8.  Strong,  rugged.  ]n-oud  of 
his  Scottish  blood,  he  was  a  powerful  ]ierson- 
ality,  a  natural  leader  of  men,  and  he  played  a 
great  part  in  the  early  develojiment  of  the 
county.  At  the  time  of  his  jjassing  an  appre- 
ciation of  him  was  written  by  the  editor  of 
this  vohune,  a  portion  of  which  is  here  repro- 
duced : 


''What  need  of  tears  for  a  man  who  has 
been  liere  for  74  years  and  has  lived,  fullj', 
richly,  strenuously,  eveiy  minute  of  the  time! 
For  the  man  wlio  has  l)een  here  but  has  not 
lived,  M-ho  has  shut  the  door  of  his  mind,  who 
has  refused  to  look  at  beauty,  who  never  has 
been  stirred  by  the  pulses  of  sym])athy — for 
such  a  life  we  may  weep,  and  we  may  nu^uru 
for  liim  as  for  one  who  has  been  deaf,  dumb 
and  blind.  He  has  touched  but  not  tasted  life. 
He  has  had  his  chance,  and  missed  it.  But  for 
the  life  that  has  been  lived  to  the  full,  what  is 
there  but  a  song  of  joy,  a  ])aen  of  thankfulness 
that  such  a  life  has  been  lived  by  our  side,  in 
strong  comradeship  and  manful  courage. 


Nathaniel  Mclntyre. 

A  Belated  Rob  Roy. 

"It  is  witli  such  a  joy  that  I  contemplate 
the  life  of  Nate  Mclntyre.  Not  for  him  is  the 
crown  of  the  saint  and  martyr.  No  meek  and 
lowly  follower  of  passionless  perfection  was 
he.  No!  Rather  rough,  rugged  and  aggressive 
was  Mclntyre,  like  liis  ancestors,  the  turbulent 
chiefs  of  the  Scottish  border,  a  man  to  take  and 
give  hard  blows,  a  sort  of  belated  Rob  R03-, 
cast  by  the  accident  of  time  on  the  raw  and 
unbroken  prairies  of  Illinois.  But  in  the  per- 
spective of  time  his  form  looms  large  against 
the  background  of  the  ])rairie,  picturseque  as 
the  historic  figures  of  Scottish  chiefs  against 
the  hills  of  Scotia;  and  he  towered  big  and 
masterful  among  the  men  of  the  plains  as  did 
Rob  Roy  among  the  clans  of  the  Highlands. 
Always  when  1  went  out  to  the  old  farm  and 
sat  down  to  enjoy  his  hospitiility  the  old  saying 


138 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


ever  came  to  my  mind:  "Wherever  McGregor 
sits,  there  is  the  head  of  the  table.' 

If  Mclntyre  Had  Left  His  Memoirs. 

'■What  a  history  of  pioneer  life  might 
have  been  written  if  some  Turgneneff  could 
have  recorded  the  memories  of  Mclntyre! 
With  what  interest  have  I  listened  hour  after 
hour  to  the  graphic  narrative  of  the  daring  and 
doing  of  those  days,  as  they  fell  with  gripping 
spell  from  his  lips.  Comedy,  tragedy,  pathos, 
he  was  equally  master  of,  and  he  did 
not  lack  the  eye  for  the  epic,  the  heroic  note, 
in  the  great  drama  of  settling  the  new  world  in 
which  he  played  so  ijrominent  a  part.  For  he 
was  not  born  a  pioneer,  and  so  he  brought  an 
eye  to  it  trained  under  other  standards.  To 
hands  accustomed  for  ten  years  to  nothing- 
harder  than  dr>'  goods  the  plough  handle  felt 
veiy  rough,  and  eyes  used  to  city  streets  found 
a  new  vista  in  the  wide  stretches  of  untamed 
prairie.  When  the  "Call  of  the  Wild"  came  to 
him  it  found  a  soul  sensitive  to  its  hardships, 
but  strong  as  steel  to  endure  and  master 
them. 

The  Master  Mind  of  His  Parish. 

Mclntyre  was  guide,  counselor  and  friend 
to  his  neighborhood.  In  politics  and  business 
his  was  for  forty  years  the  master  mind,  and 
he  was  counsellor  in  law,  and  often  in  love  and 
marriage,  to  the  entire  coimtry.  He  composed 
domestic  troubles,  received  confidences,  wrote 
wills,  and  often  served  as  spiritual  as  well  as 
legal  advisor  to  his  parish,  and  many  are  the 
intimate  domestic  secrets  of  Allen  and  Otter 
that  were  buried  with  him.  His  power  was 
great  in  his  province,  and  he  used  it  wisely. 
His  example  was  always  for  progi'ess.  Before 
his  neighbors  had  passed  the  big  barn  and  lit- 
tle shanty  stage,  Mclntyi'e  had  a  steam  heated 
house,  a  piano  in  it,  daily  papers  .nid  maga- 
zines on  his  tables,  and  sent  his  children  to 
college  to  be  educated. 

He  Saved  the  School  Land.s. 

"In  ]niblic  matters  the  victoiy  he  was  most 
proud  of  was  the  saving  to  Allen  of  the  school 
land.  This  he  did  by  sheer  force  of  personal- 
ity, contrary  to  law,  and  contrarj^  to  the  will 
of  the  majority.  But  he  always  gloried  in  it, 
and  Allen  township  owes  a  debt  which  it  can 
never  repay  to  the  man  who  refused  to  sacri- 
tice  the  children  of  the  future  to  the  greed  of 
the  living  generation.  He  was  proud,  too,  of 
building  the  county  court  house,  which  he  did 
as  chairman  of  the  supervisors'  committee  in 
charge,  and  of  thwarting     the     ringsters  and 


grafters  of  his  time  who  were  seeking  to  plun- 
der tlie  county. 

He  Was  Greater  Than  His  Deeds. 

"But  Nate  Mclntyre  was  bigger  than  his 
deeds.  It  needs  such  lives  to  remind  os  that  a 
man  may  play  his  part  greatly  witliout  doing 
anything  that  will  cause  his  name  to  go  down 
to  postei-ity  in  marble  or  bronze.  There  is  an 
immortality  far  more  enduring  in  the  pervasive 
influence  of  2)ersonality  which  leaves  its  im- 
press on  the  lives  of  other  men  and  is  carried 
in  the  blood  currents  and  in  the  brain  tissues 
of  the  race,  and  this  is  an  immortality  which 
no  accident  of  time  or  change  can  efface.  And 
it  may  be  said  in  conclusion  that  Mclntyre 
had  no  faith  in  any  other  form  of  immortality, 
and  it  should  be  an  inspiration  to  every  lover 
cf  his  kind  that  he  was  able  to  live  his  life 
greatly,  largely,  loyally,  though  often  solitary 
and  misunderstood,  without  hope  of  future  re- 
ward, without  fear  of  future  inmishment,  sus- 
tained only  by  faith  in  the  worth  of  life  and 
;he  joy  of  human  fellowship. 

"He  lived  a  great  life.  I  rejoice  that  he 
lived  it  largely  and  humanly.  For  the  rest 
there  is  faith;  confidence  that  whatever  the 
Land  of  Shadows  may  hold  for  him  he  will 
meet  it  in  the  spirit  of  the  hero  of  Browning's 
Epilogue,  and,  like  him.  'Greet  the  unseen  with 
.•I  cheer.'  " 


RUDOLPH  D.  KLINE 


If  he  who  causes  two  blades  of  grass  to 
grow  where  only  one  grew  before  is  a  public 
benefactor,  what  shall  be  said  of  him  who 
raises  thirty-five  thousand  dollars  worth  of 
crops  on  eighty  acres  of  land  that  one  year  be- 
fore was  a  wild  and  boggy  swamp? 

This  is  the  story  of  a  Streator  man  who  jier- 
formed  that  wonderful  feat.  Rudolph  D.  Kline 
is  a  gardener  by  the  grace  of  Nature  and  his 
own  genius.  Where  Edison  and  Tesla  discover 
the  hidden  powers  of  nature  in  ions  and  mole- 
cules, Kline  finds  them  in  the  dirty  and  de- 
spised mud  of  neglected  swamps.  Where  the 
millionaire  promoter  makes  his  millions  by 
taking  them  away  from  other  people,  Kline 
makes  his  thousands  by  extracting  them  from 
unutilized  mud  beds  and  thus  adding  to  the  ac- 
tual wealth  of  the  world. 

Kline  made  his  first  entry  into  Streator  as  a 
youtli  of  twenty-one,  on  top  of  a  wagon  load  of 
garden  truck.  It  was  in  the  sumnier  of  1867, 
and  there  was  a  miners'  strike  on  at  the  time. 


THK  STORV  OF  STKi:  \TOIJ. 


135 


lie  came  from  Henry,  II].,  where  he  was  run- 
ning a  small  ti-uek  garden.  His  green  stuff 
found  a  ready  market  and  he  came  again  and 
yet  again,  and  every  time  he  came  he  found 
pronii)t  and  willing  customers.  This  impressed 
the  young  gardener,  and  ho  finally  concluded  to 
move  his  garden  to  Streator  instead  of  hauling 
the  product  here. 

He  came  to  Streator  in  1877,  and  with  his 
lather  bonulit  tiie  Kline  homestead  near  Coal- 
vdle.  and  built  the  family  residence  on  it.  Af- 
ter seven  years  of  gardening  in  partnership 
with  his  father,  he  went  into  hnsiue>s  for  him- 
self, and  was  employed  in  retail  gardening  for 
fifteen  years.  Later  he  formed  a  ])artnership 
with  his  brother  to  engage  in  wholesale  garden- 
ing, which  ])artnersliip  sfill  continues  under 
the  firm  name  df  Kline  P>i-i>thers.  • 


Uudolph  1).   Kline. 


I'laik  Sludio 


It  was  during  this  wide  and  varied  exjier- 
ience  in  retail  and  wholesale  gardening  that  he 
acquired  the  knowledge  and  technique  that  was 
to  tit  him  for  the  imjiorfant  work  of  his  life. 
Among  the  pieces  of  land  that  he  had  worked 
in  Streator  there  was  one  twenty  acx'C  tract  that 
was  swampy.  In  reclaiming  this  swamp  he 
found  out  the  secret  of  converting  bogs  into 
gold  mines,  and  when  a  hunting  trip  took  him 
through  the  great  Kankakee  swamp  he  knew 
that  he  had  struck  the  Promised  Land.  When 
the  time  came  for  the  great  drainage  ditch  to 
be  cut  tlirough  this  swamp,  ^Ii-.  Kline  backed 
his  faith  witli  his  cash  and  bought  veven  hun- 
dred acres  of  combined  water  and  bog.  What 
was  the  result?  Take  the  stoiy  of  one  80-acre 
tract  as  a  concrete  example: 


A  Wonderful  Story. 

On  December  31,  1910,  this  tract  was  a  wild 
and  trackless  bog  in  the  heart  of  the  Kankakee 
swamp.  On  January  1,  I'Jll,  Kline  moved  on  it 
with  his  force  of  workmen.  They  gnibbod  it, 
tiled  it,  fenced  it,  built  houses,  barns  and  sheds, 
and  planted  it  to  onions  and  potatoes. 

Within  one  year  of  getting  the  title  for  this 
tract  of  land,  for  which  he  had  paid  sixty  dol- 
lars per  acre,  I\Ti-.  Kline  raised  and  sold  a  crop 
on  it,  for  which  he  received  in  excess  of  thirty- 
live  thousand  dollars  ($35,000.00.) 

Forty  acres  of  this  land  were  planted  to  on- 
ions, twenty  to  potatoes,  and  twenty  remained 
as  woodland  i)as)ure.  l\>rty  cai-loads  of  onions 
were  shipped  from  this  field.  One  acre  yielded 
900  bushels  of  onions,  and  as  high  as  $2.25  per 
bushel  was  received  for  some  of' the  product,  it 
being  regarded  as  of  very  sujierior  .juality. 

Mr.  Kline  owns  seven  hundred  acres  of"  this 
swamp  land,  of  which  two  hundred  are  under 
cultivation.  He  raises  corn  and  other  farm 
crojjs,  as  well  as  the  more  concentrated  crops, 
such  as  onions,  potatoes,  cabbages,  etc.  His 
sales  last  year  were  about  $(30,000,  which  is 
lirobably  the  greatest  value  ever  i)roduced  on 
two  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Illinois  or  Indiana. 

'riie  land  is  worked  on  a  coiniirehcnsive  plan. 
II  is  divided  info  ten  locations,  eacii  with  its 
a|iprn])riafc  buildings,  machinery  and  work- 
ing force,  i hiring  the  busy  season  ]Mr.  Kline 
uses  two  automobiles  to  haul  extra  gangs  of  men 
men  from  place  fo  ])lacc. 

^hich  of  the  land  is  under  water,  and  has  to 
be  dyked  to  protect  it  from  overflow.  He  is 
now  engaged  in  dyking  a  large  tract,  which  he 
will  drain  by  gasolene  ]nimp.  The  water  de- 
velo]ied  inside  the  dykes  will  be  ])iped  to  a 
large  swamp,  and  from  there  pumped  into  the 
main  drain. 

Depopulate  the  Slums. 

As  Burbank,  tiie  wonder  worker,  has  spe- 
cialized on  i)lant  species,  so  Kline  has  s])ecial- 
ized  on  soils.  AVhen  he  found  that  the  soil  of 
Illinois  had  become  too  dry  for  onions  and  po- 
tatoes, he  searched  for  the"  right  soil  conditions 
elsewhere  and  found  them  in  the  Kankakee 
swainjis.  He  sjiecialized  on  onions,  and  thev 
I'-aid  him  $30,000  last  year.  All  his  life  he  ha"s 
been  a  student  of  intensive  fanning.  His  suc- 
cess entitles  him  to  be  regarded  as  an  expert, 
and  his  ojunions  have  the  additional  value  of 
coming  from  a  man  who  has  worked  them  out 
with  his  own  hands  and  brains.  Asked  his 
o])inion  on  the  "back  to  the  land"  movement, 
he  replied: 


140 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


"I  believe  the  fann  has  been  the  backbone 
and  will  be  the  salvation  of  onr  nation.  I 
think  it  is  easily  possible  to  balance  the  popula- 
tions of  city  and  conntiy.  By  intensive  cnl'd- 
vation  the  farm  workers  can  be  greatly  increas- 
ed and  the  congestion  in  the  slum  districts  of 
the  cities  relieved.  Ten  acres  of  Illinois  soil 
woiild  support  a  family  in  affluence.     With  ev- 


ducer;  one  who  has  added  to  the  wealth  of  the 
world;  a  witness  to  the  fact  that  it  is  still  pos- 
sible to  earn  a  competency  in  America  without 
impoverishing  your  neighbor  by  so  doing. 

What  has  he  done?    What  is  his  contribu- 
tion to  the  wealth  of  the  world? 

He  has  taken  a  common  garden  vegetable, 
specialized  in  it.  raised  it  to     such  a    potency 


Residence  of  R.  D.  Kline. 


ery  section  road  made  of  brick,  an  electric  rail- 
way every  three  miles,  with  small  farmiu,-^-  com- 
umnities  dotting  the  landscape  at  short  inter- 
vals, with  eveiy  10  acre  tract  supporting  a  fam- 
ily, fann  life  in  Illinois  would  be  a  paradise, 
and  its  ob\ious  advantages  would  soon  depopu- 
late the  slums." 


EDWARD  C.  KLINE 


This  is  the  story  of  a  man  who  learned  to 
do  one  thing  better  than  any  one  else  in  his 
generation. 

The  world  will  pay  for  the  superlative;  and 
so  it  has  rewarded  this  man  with  a  competency, 
though  he  is  yet  only  in  the  prime  of  life. 

He  started  for  himself  at  21  years  of  age, 
without  capital.  All  that  he  has  has  literally 
come  out  of  his  own  hands  and  l)raiiis.  He  has 
not  taken  it  away  from  anybody  else  by  ex- 
change, speculation  or  promotion.    Hj  is  a  pro- 


tiiat  its  productiveness  is  trebled  and  its  qual 
ity  i^'  more  than  doubled,  as  measiiied  by  its 
price  in  the  market.  What  Burbank  has  done 
for  the  daisy  and  the  cactiis,  Ed.  Kline  has 
done,  in  a  degree,  for  the  asi3aragus  plant;  and 
today  his  jjroduct  is  quoted  in  our  markets  at 
twice  the  price  of  the  ordinary  variety,  and 
there  is  never  any  shrinkage  in  the  demand. 

How  did  he  achieve  this  success? 

In  the  old,  old  way.  By  intense  application, 
by  days  and  nights  of  unremitting  labor,  by  un- 
flagging vigilance,  and  by  the  imrescrved  giv- 
ing of  every  power  of  mind  and  body  to  his 
work.  He  studied  the  nature  of  the  plant,  its 
food,  its  diseases,  .and  its  housing.  He  learned 
that  it  need  to  be  stuffed  like  a  tubercular  pa- 
tient, and  so  he  plied  it  with  plant  foods,  fer- 
tilizers and  the  like,  till  it  could  absorb  no 
more.  He  found  its  soil  needed  to  rest  each  al- 
ternate year,  and  so  he  invented  a  movable 
STeen  house,  which  can  be  moved  with  wonder- 
ful economv  of  labor.     With  this  movable  ap- 


THi:  STOKV  <>|-  STKKATOIS. 


141 


pliance,  on  wliicii  lie  has  a  basic  patent,  he  is 
able  to  inai<e  liis  seventeen  liouses  do  the  \rork 
of  one  hnndred  of  tlie  stationniy  sort,  and 
makes  it  jiossibh'  for  lijni  to  alternate  his  as- 
paraiius  plots  with  a  niiuinnini  of  cost. 

He  studied  soils  and  found  that  no  two  are 
alike;  that  what  is  food  for  one  is  jioison  for  an- 
other, and  so  he  studied  his  own  ground  witli 
jnicroscoj)ic  care,  found  just  what  elements  it 
needed,  and  fed  them  those  and  no  other.  He 
thinks  nothing  of  spending  $■_'()()  on  an  acre  of 
land  if  it  needs  it.  and  no  year  gets  by  without 
his  putting  back  a  hundred  dollars  into  each 
acre. 


There  is  no  magic 


of  E.  C.  Kline  has  been  won 
in  it;  there  is  no  luck.  It  is  simply  a  matter  of 
absolute  self-devotion  to  a  given  end.  For  many 
years  of  his  life  he  practically  lived  in  his 
green-houses.  He  thought,  breathed,  lived  as- 
jiaragus.  He  was  rarely  down  town,  or  found 
at  clubs,  sports  or  anniscments.  He  ga\e  all 
the  ]iowers  of  a  strong  and  powerful  nature  to 
the  producing  of  a  larger  and  tenderer  stalk  of 
asparagus  than  anybody  else,  and  he  succeeded. 
He  has  made  the  Kline  product  the  standard  of 
America. 

After  achieving  his  aml)ition  as  a  gardener, 
he  has  turned  the  direction  of  his  intense  nature 


Kesidence   o£   E.   C.    Kline. 


The  subject  of  seed  was  investigated  with 
care.  H  was  found  to  be  intimately  connected 
with  the  question  of  disease.  He  traveled  hun- 
dreds of  miles,  visited  the  most  noted  gardens 
of  the  country,  counseled  witli  the  most  exper- 
ienced gardeners — and  then  drew  his  own  con- 
clusions. He  observed  that  the  great  asparagus 
plague — the  rust — moved  across  the  country 
like  the  human  plagues.  He  noticed  that  the 
locations  earliest  attacked  became  immune,  and 
conceived  the  idea  of  immunizing  his  own  beds 
by  inculcating  them  with  seed  of  plants  already 
infected.  He  apjilied  his  idea,  and  lo!  it  worked. 
AVhile  others  have  lost  their  crops,  his  have  re- 
mained ))ractically  unscathed. 

It  is  by  such  arts  as  these  tliat  the  success 


toward  public  service.  Finding  liimself  in  con- 
flict witii  one  of  the  big  public  utility  corpora- 
tions of  the  city,  he  engaged  it  in  combat  single 
handed,  and  whatever  nuiy  be  its  final  outcome, 
he  has  displayed  a  zeal,  an  energy,  a  public 
spirit  which  has  won  him  the  ajiproval  of  a 
large  body  of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Streator  Chautauqua  for  two  years; 
an  ardent  progressive,  he  was  a  delegate  to  the 
fioosevelt  convention  in  Springfield,  and  has 
also  been  active  in  religious  and  public  service. 
As  he  is  still  a  young  man,  tilled  with  the  en- 
ergy of  youth,  and  with  a  passion  for  social 
righteousness,  he  will  yet  be  heard  from  as  one 
of  the  constnictive  forces  shajiiug  the  future  of 
his  citv  and  countrv. 


142 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


Edward  C.  Kline  was  born  in  Henry,  111.,  in 
1873,  came  to  Streator  in  1878,  and  has  lived 
liere,  working  at  his  profession  as  a  gardener 


Edward  C.  Kline. 

ever  since.  He  stands  ont  as  one  of  the  strong 
characters  of  the  town — a  man  who  has  learned 
to  do  one  thin"-  better  than  anvone  else. 


L.  P.  HALLADAY 


The  latest  factory  to  be  established  in 
Streator  is  that  of  the  L.  P.  Halladay  Com- 
pany, devoted  to  the  maunfacture  of  automo- 
bile specialties.  As  these  lines  are  being  writ- 
ten the  wheels  of  the  new  factory  are  turning, 
and  they  have  been  turning  for  ten  days.  Busy 
hands  are  at  work,  and  it  will  not  be  long  be- 
fore the  new  truss  roof  brick  building,  with  its 
50x133  feet  of  space,  will  be  a  humming  liive  of 
industry. 

It  is  of  special  significance  to  Streator  that 
Mr.  Halladay  should  ei-ect  his  new  factory 
here,  for  this  city  is  no  untried  experiment  to 
him  as  a  manufacturing  point.    He  has  been  en- 


gaged in  manufacture  here  before;  in  fact  he 
was  the  pioneer  builder  of  autos  here,  and  was 
the  founder  of  the  Streator  Metal  Stamping 
Works.  The  auto  made  by  the  Streator  Motor 
Car  Company — the  Halladay — still  carries  his 
name  across  the  continent,  and  a  number  of  the 
valuable  patents  held  by  the  Streator  Metal 
Stamping  Com2)any  were  invented  and  patented 
by  him.  He  was  a  one-third  owner  and  at  the 
head  of  tlie  manufacturing  dei)artment  of  those 
concerns,  when  in  IDDll  he  sold  out  his  interest 
to  Messrs  Barlow  &  Chubbuck. 

After  selling  out  he  continued  his  manufac- 
turiTig  exi)erience.  He  went  with  tlie  Stavei 
Company  as  manager  of  their  automobile  de- 
partment, having  full  charge  of  engineering 
and  designing,  as  well  as  of  the  manufacture 
of  cars.  In  1911  he  went  into  business  for  him- 
self again,  organizing  the  L.  P.  Halladay  Com- 
pany for  the  manufacture  of  his  own  special 
inventions.  He  started  the  new  company  in 
Chicago,  remained  there  a  year,  then  moved  his 
establishment  to  Streator,  and  erected  the  new 
Halladay  factory  building.  Asked  what  con- 
siderations induced  him  to  return,  lie  replied 
frankly: 

"I  came  back  because  I  like  the  character 
of  the  people,  and  because  of  the  good  friends 
I  made  when  here  before.  In  that  sense  the  in- 
ducements were  purely  human,  friendly  and 
"(lersonal.  One's  friends  make  a  large  part  of 
life  outside  the  factory,  and  it  is  worth  a  good 
deal  to  live  in  a  town  where  you  like  the  people 
and  they  like  you.  Congenial  companion.ship, 
sociability,  good  fellowship,  was  the  first  con- 
sideration; but  I  could  hardly  have  come  on 
that  ground  alone,  if  Streator  had  not  been  a 
good  place  for  my  business.  I  think  it  the  best 
town  around  here  for  manufacturing.  It  has 
Chicago  beat  in  many  ways.  I  can  have  a  good 
biiilding  here  at  a  price  I  can  afford  to  pay. 
My  transfer  bills  are  not  half  as  high.  Conges- 
tion of  Chicago  freight  is  avoided,  and  we  can 
get  much  quicker  raih'oad  action.  Best  of  all 
we  can  get  much  better  labor  here,  at  the  same 
wage  scale.  These  and  many  other  advantages 
brought  me  back.  There  was  no  bonus,  no  gift 
of  land,  everything  is  paid  for,  there  are  no  ob- 
ligations between  Streator  and  me,  honors  are 
even,  and  I'm  glad  to  be  back  again  among 
friends." 

Mr.  Halladay  has  spent  a  busy  life,  working 
with  hands  and  brain,  inventing  and  making 
devices  of  metal.  Born  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  in 
1864.  he  came  in  infancy  to  Chicago  with  his 
familv,  had  a  common  school  education  and  en- 


THI-:  STOI5V  OK  STI{i:.\TOI{. 


143 


tered  liis  fatlior's  faotoiy  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
and  learned  tlie  trade  of  machinist.  He  had  an 
all-around  experience  on  the  road  and  in  the 
factory,  which  his  faflier  owned  in  partuer.sliip 
with  (Jen.  .MacArlhur.  AVlien  the  bicycle  boom 
came  he  and  his  father  established  the  Marion 
Cycle  Works  at  Marion,  Ind.  After  remaining 
there  twelve  years  he  started  a  factory  for 
jnaimfai'turing  music  racks,  wliicli  was  later 
brouglit  to  Streator  and  became  the  foundation 
of  the  Streator  Metal  Stamping  Works. 

All  his  life  he  has  been  a  pmlific  inventor. 
In  tlie  r.  S.  patent  ollice  there  stand  credited 
to  him  57  patents,  most  of  them  on  useful  spe- 
cialties. (Juitc  a  luiinlx'r  are  on  the  music  rack, 
(•ar]iet  sweej^'r  and  baby  go-cai't,  which  liave 
been  made  here  by  the  Metal  Stamping  Com- 
l)any.    Many  of  the  special  tools  ami  devices  to 


invention  that  is  not  only  to  make  the  fame  of 
Halladay,  Init  also  add  to  the  fortune  of  Strea- 
tor. 


L.   p.   Halladay 

economically  mamifacturo  tliese  novelties  are 
the  i)roducts  of  his  fertile  brain,  some  of  them 
disjilacing  costly  and  complicated  processes  by 
a  simple  contrivance.  The  specialties  now  oc- 
cupying his  attention  are  attachments  for  auto- 
mobiles, and  include  bumpers,  side  lever  sets, 
brake  sets,  side  tire  irons,  rear  tire  irons, 
strainers,  oil  can  holders  and  number  pad 
holders. 

His  brain  at  48  is  just  at  the  maximum  of 
its  ])ower.  trained  and  disciiilined  in  the  pro- 
duction of  57  iiatcnt(>d  inventions.  It  is  still 
teeming  with  ideas  not  yet  visualized  or  made 
tangible,  and  perhaps  it  is  yet  to  bring  forth  an 


LL  GRAVES,  MACHINIST 


Theoretically  this  should  be  a  writo-nii  of  a 
machine  slioii.  witli  a  description  of  its  lathes, 
presses,  macliincry  and  ecjuipment  to  turn  out 
work.  Instead  it  will  be  the  story  of  a  man  of 
genius  who  tried  to  harness  himself  to  the 
routine  work  of  the  shoi),  but  who  l)roke  his 
tugs  and  got  away  to  a  field  more  congenial  to 
his  talents. 

li.  L.  Graves  is  a  niaciiinist  by  tlie  grace  of 
God  and  his  own  brain-seared  experience.  He 
knows  the  throb  of  an  engine  like  the  Scotch 
engineer  in  Kipling's  story,  and  can  tell  its 
ailments  by  its  heart  beat  as  well  as  any  physi- 
<-ian  can  diagnose  a  pulse.  He  knows  its  parts 
as  an  osteopath  knows  anatomy,  and  with  a  far 
more  intimate  sense  of  personality.  I-'or  an  en- 
gine to  him  is  a  living  thing;  he  speaks  of  it  as 
"she,"  and  he  enters  into  its  feelings,  its 
moods,  its  diseases  as  a  good  doctor  enti'rs  inti> 
sympathy  with  liis  patient..  l)ut  his  remedies 
are  more  iiit'allil)le  tliaii  those  of  the  materia 
meuica,  for  they  are  of  iron  and  steel,  and  when 
apjilied  by  the  hand  of  an  expert  they  never 
fail  to  yield  uniform  results  in  each  case. 

Long  experience  in  his  specialty  has  given 
"Lew"  Graves  a  skill  in  diagnosis  and  treat- 
ment of  sick  engines  that  is  almost  i)reternat- 
ural.  From  a  leaky  valve,  or  a  hot  eccentric,  to 
an  untnu'  shaft,  he  knows  e\'ery  wlieeze  or 
creak  or  strain,  and  by  listening  with  his  ears 
and  hands  he  can  tell  just  what  medicine  to  ad- 
minister. This  is  why  his  reputation  as  an 
engine  doctor  has  spread  for  miles  around,  and 
he  is  sent  for  from  distant  villages  and  towns 
as  a  consultant  or  operator.  Little  by  little  the 
doing  of  routine  machine  shop  work  has  ceased 
to  interest  him.  and  he  has  been  giving  himself 
more  completely  to  this  expert  engine  j)ractice. 
Among  his  regular  clients  are  great  concerns 
like  the  ^farquette  Cement  Company  with  their 
2000  horse  power  Corliss  engines,  who  have 
called  him  regularly  as  a  consultant  for  several 
years.  The  American  Bottle  Company,  the 
Public  Seiwice  Comjiany,  the  various  brick  and 
coal  concerns  of  the  city,  in  fact  eveiybody 
for  miles  around,  who  has  an  engine  knows  the 
name  of  Graves  and  sends  for  him  when  in 
trouble. 

L.  L.  Graves  and  his  father  came  to  Strea- 


144 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


tor  in  1875,  and  opeued  a  macliiue  shop  and 
foimdiy.  At  tliat  time  Col.  Plumb  was  building 
his  lines  of  railroad  into  Streator,  and  they  did 
the  machinist  work  for  these  lines.  In  1880 
the  father  died,  and  L.  L.  Graves  personally 
took  up  the  work.  The  mining  business  was 
then  at  its  height  and  the  business  of  the  shop 
ran  in  the  direction  of  mining  machinery. 
"Lew"  Graves  was  the  first  man  in  America 
to  build  a  coal  cutting  machine  to  work  in  a 
"long  wall"  or  low  seam.  John  Kangley,  a  no- 
ted mine  operator  of  those  days,  brought  the 
idea  to  Graves  and  he  worked  it  out.  The  ma- 
chine was  a  success  and  on  one  occasion,  under 
favorable  conditions,  made  an  undercut  of 
three  feet  1,000  yards  in  one  day.  Twenty  ma- 
chines were  built  and  operated,  but  it  was 
found  they  could  not  be  ]jrotected  liy  ])atent, 
and  so  were  abandoned.    Other  of  Graves'  ideas 


L.  L.  Graves  was  born  in  Eockford.  Illinois, 
in  1856.  lie  came  to  Streator  in  1875  and  has 
made  his  home  here  ever  since. 


L.  L.  Graves. 

went  into  the  Cyclone  ventilating  fan  for  mines, 
which  had  a  wide  use;  others  into  safety 
catches,  hoisting  engines  and  the  like. 

For  the  past  ten  years,  for  reasons  before 
stated,  the  Graves  machine  shop  has  been  giv- 
ing more  time  to  repair  work  than  to  original 
construction.  The  reputation  of  Mr.  Graves  as 
an  engine  expert  and  the  calls  for  his  services 
for  treatment  of  engine  troubles,  makes  it  ne- 
cessary for  the  force  of  his  factory  to  hold 
themselves  in  readiness  to  take  care  of  i-epair 
work  when  the  master  sends  it  in,  and  often  it 
necessitates  the  working  day  and  night  until 
the  job  is  completed. 


PHILLIP  SCHLACHTER,  JR. 

MASTER  WORKMKAN. 


Phillip  t*>'!cljiacliter,  Jr.,  is  an  example  of  edu- 
cation by  manual  training.  He  concluded  his 
course  in  the  Streator  common  schools  at  about 
12  years  of  age,  and  begun  his  manual  training 
in  his  father's  planing  mill.  Phillip  does  not 
claim  to  have  completed  his  course,  for,  as  he 
says,  "there  is  always  something  to  learn;" 
but  he  has  earned  the  degree  of  "Master  Work- 
man," bestowed  on  him  by  universal  consent, 
and  justified  by  his  works,  which  are  found  all 
over  Streator. 

Xo  better  teacher  of  the  art  of  wood-work- 
ing ever  came  to  the  west  than  Phillip  Schlach- 
ter,  Sr.,  the  fatlier  of  the  l)oy  who  went  under 
liis  tutelage  at  twelve.  Phillip,  the  elder,  came 
from  Mannheim,  Germany,  in  1880,  and  had  a 
genius  for  building  that  is  rarely  equaled.  He 
put  young  Phil  at  a  moulding  machine,  and 
taught  him  to  make  his  knives  and  to  properly 
grind  and  temi)er  them.  Tliis  making  of  knives 
for  machines  was  hard  and  exacting  work,  but 
Phil  looks  back  on  it  as  the  most  important 
part  of  his  training  in  mill  work.  He  then  took 
the  turning  lathe  and  made  porch  columns, 
rewell  posts,  si)indle  work,  etc.,  and  then  was 
jjromoted  to  the  sash  and  door  machine,  then  to 
stair  buihling,  and  finally  to  cabinet  work.  This 
was  the  culmination  of  liis  training  in  exact- 
ness, for  a  mistake  of  the  hundredth  part  of  an 
inch  might  spoil  the  job.  With  all  this  went 
hand  work,  drawing  and  designing,  and  later 
when  he  became  his  father's  assistant  the  work 
of  planning  and  estimating  buildings  and  the 
foundations  of  architecture. 

During  this  long  ap]irenticesliip  Phil  got  a 
first  hand  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  mater- 
ials, an  exi)erience  of  a])i)lied  geometry  and  the 
art  of  measurement,  a  grasp  of  the  princiiiles  of 
heating,  plumbing,  ventilation  and  all  the  wide- 
ly related  sciences  that  touch  on  modem  house 
construction.  Nor  did  his  education  leave  out 
tlie  culture  of  the  humanities,  for  with  ar- 
chitectiire  came  in  the  knowledge  of  proportion, 
symmetry,  design,  and  the  principles  of  color 
harmonies,  decoration  and  ornament.  And  so 
Pliilljp  Schlachter,  Jr.  stands  at  forty-two,  hav- 


THK  STOHY  OF  STItDATOR. 


145 


mg  left  scliool  at  twelve,  a  broadly  ediu-ated 
man,  Streator's  first  [graduate  of  manual 
traiiiin*^. 

IJis  b^l^^iIless  lias  grown  a])aoe.  He  is  owner 
of  the  Streator  Saw  and  Planing  Mill,  and  does 
a  large  genend  i-ontractiiig  busine-s.  builds 
liDUscs  and  business  linildings,  and  deals  in 
lumber,  eement  and  mill  work.  Among  the 
monuments  of  his  builder's  craft  are  the  lialpli 
Plumb  school,  the  Schlitz  building,  the  D.  C. 
.Murray  and  A.  II.  Sliay  residem-es,  etc. 

lie  was  the  lirst  Streatur  liuilder  to  venture 
on  concrete  work,  and  built  his  own  residence  of 
that  material  ten  years  ago.  With  the  growth 
of  that  business  he  has  ki-pt     at  the  front,  and 


Philip    SclilacUltr 

gone  largi'ly  into  ('('mcnf  constrnctioii.  lb-  lias 
built  eiglit  cuiicicte  luidgcs  for  the  State  High- 
way ('ommissioii.  lie  did  tiie  concrete  work  for 
the  M(d<inley  intenirban  line,  and  the  excava- 
tion and  concrete  for  tlie  new  Bridge  street 
bridge,  lie  also  wholesales  cement.  Keceutly 
he  sold  7,<l()(t  liai-rels  in  Franklin  County,  111. 

In  addition  to  a  full  line  of  out-door  and  in- 
terior mill-work,  the  Schlachter  ])laning  mill 
carries  on  a  special  line  of  manufacturing.  It 
makes  drawing  boards,  drafting  tools  and  other 
novelties.  Now  in  jirocess  of  consummation  is 
an  order  for  500  patented  Triangle  T  S(iuares 
for  the  Los  Angeles  Board  of  Education  for  the 
use  of  the  schools  in  that  city. 


MR.  AND  MRS.  LOUIS  M.  HARVEY 


There  is  one  place  in  the  world    where  per- 


sonality is  the  chief  asset,  and  that  is  in  manag- 
ing a  hotel.  This  is  a  story  of  how  a  young 
cou|ile,  without  money  or  ''pull,"  solelj'  by  vir- 
tue of  their  sunny  dispositions  and  a  genius  for 
friendliness,  have  turned  failure  into  success 
and  made  for  themselves  an  envied  position  in 
the  hotel  world.  It  is  a  pleasant  story,  for  it  is 
one  of  those  rare  romances  where  the  two  lives 
became  literally  as  one,  and  where  not  only  the 
hearts  but  the  heads  and  the  hands  wei-e  joined 
in  united  labor  and  comradeship  to  ujibuild  the 
stnicture  of  their  fortune. 

The  first  thing  Mr.  Harvey  said  to  the  writer 
was:  "I  want  you  to  be  sure  to  give  Mrs.  Har- 
vey eqiml  credit  with  me  for  any  success  we 
have  won  in  the  hotel  business." 

And  she  <leserves  it.  For  if  the  essential  of 
success  in  hotel  keeping  is  personality,  Mrs. 
Harvey  has  it  ])lus.  Not  only  pleasing  in 
<peech  and  jierson,  but  with  rare  charm  and 
kindliness  of  manner,  she  is  able  to  imjiart  a 
liome  liki'  atmosphere  to  the  usually  barren  and 
chilly  walls  of  a  hotel  that  makes  it  attractive 
and  inviting  to  weary  travelers.  Louis  is  equal- 
ly fortunate  in  disposition.  Large  anil  generous 
in  nature,  as  well  as  in  stature,  he  has  a  smile 
and  ;i  hand  clasp  that  is  a  sure  cure  for  the 
lilues.  Walking  into  the  hotel  the  stranger 
feels  as  if  he  is  walking  into  the  home  of  a 
friend.  There  is  attention  to  his  wants,  there 
is  ready  information  for  him  if  he  needs,  and 
cordial  recognition  and  hearty  greeting  if  he 
lias  been  there  before.  Friendliness  is  a  rare 
i,nft.  and  a  man  must  be  born  with  it  if  it  is  to 
liny;  true.  .Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Harvey  were  born  un- 
der a  friendly  star,  for  their  spontaneous  gen- 
iality s])rings  from  a  real  love  of  jieople,  rather 
tiian  from  the  studied  art  of  interested  po- 
liteness. 

This  is  a  jH'n  picture  of  tiu'  dual  landlords. 
Now  what  have  they  done? 

When  they  took  the  Columbia  Hotel  in 
1!I04,  they  luul  on  their  hands  a  place  that  was 
known  as  a  failure.  Louis  had  no  money  e.x- 
cept  what  he  had  saved  out  of  his  salaiy  for 
the  three  years  he  had  been  clerk  in  the  same 
hotel.  There  were  no  rich  relatives  to  give 
tliem  a  '-boost."  But  Louis  had  a  good  hcr^.d,  a 
strong  body  and  a  brave  heart.  Mrs.  Harvey, 
too.  had  courage  and  ambition  and  was  not 
afraid  to  work.  She  took  the  housekeeping  side 
as  licr  province,  and  never  were  rooms  kejtt 
cleaner,  or  linen  more  spotless.  She  tried  to 
make  each  room  home-like  and  cheerful,  a  place 
where  travelers  would  look  foi^nard  to  with 
jileasure.  Louis  took  the  dining  room,  kitchen 
and  front  as  his  part  of  the  work.    He  managed 


146 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


the  labor,  greeted  tlie  guests,  and  saw  that  the 
tables  were  supplied  with  the  best  the  season 
at¥orded,  and  served  in  appetizing  and  pleasant 
fashion. 

What  happened? 

The  business  grew  by  leaps  and  bounds,  and 
the  Columbia  from  being  a  morgue  came  to  be 
one  of  the  liveliest  and  most  prosperous  hotels 
in  the  state.  Improvements  followed.  The 
liouse  was  rebuilt,  remodeled  and  refurnished. 
And  still  the  business  grew.  It  became  ne- 
cessaiy  to  buy  the  old  Arlington  across  the 
street  and  add  it  to  the  Columbia  as  an  annex. 


lights,  hot  and  cold  ranning  water,  in  fact  all 
the  accessories  of  a  first-class  modern  hotel. 
The  Clifton  is  fortunate  in  being  situated  on 
the  Fox  river,  on  one  of  the  most  picturesque 
spots  in  the  state,  and  when  the  Harveys  finish 
adorning  it,  no  more  beautiful  location  can  be 
found  for  those  wlio  wish  to  combine  the  beauty 
of  nature  with  the  comforts  of  a  modem  hotel. 

Being  asked  the  secret  of  hotel  success,  Mr. 
Han'ey  replied:  "Give  a  man  a  good  bed,  a  good 
meal,  and  make  the  Y)\ace  as  much  a  liome  for 
him  as  possible.  It  is  all  the  home  he  has,  and 
the  best    is  none    too  good    for  the    traveling 


Mr.  and  Mrs.   Louis  Harvey. 


Again  there  was  rebuilding,  and  tlie  capacity 
was  raised  to  85  rooms,  "all  ecjuipped  with 
electric  light,  telephones,  hot  and  cold  water, 
box  spring  beds,  hair  mattresses,  in  fact,  all 
the  adjuncts  of  a  first-class,  up-to-date  hotel. 

Still  prosperity  pursued  the  Harveys.  And 
so  they  had  to  expand  again,  tliis  time  taking 
in  the  Clifton  Hotel  at  the  neighboring  county 
seat  of  Ottawa.  Again  there  was  reconstruc- 
tion, redecorating,  refurnishing.  An  addition 
was  built,  and  the  capacity  of  "the  hotel  raised 
to  110  sleeping  rooms,  45  of  them  with  baths. 
An  elevator  was  added,    steam    heat,    electric 


man."  And  Mrs.  ITarvey  added:  "Give  him 
his  money's  wortli,  and  liave  him  appreciate  it. 
You  can't  do  this  without  good  help,  and  the 
way  to  keep  good  help  is  to  treat  them  right. 
We  have  sojne  people  with  us  that  liave  been 
here  since  we  started  in  Imsiness.  Add  to  this 
personality,  and  you  have  the  whole  secret  of 
hotel  keeping." 

Both  the  landlords  are  still  young,  and  look 
the  future  in  the  face  smilingly.  Mr.  Harvey 
was  born  in  Streator  on  January  11,  1881,  and 
got  his  education  in  tlie  common  and  high 
schools.    His  first  work  after  leaving  school  was 


THK  STOnV  f)F  STRFATOR. 


147 


as  clerk  in  a  lii>tc'l,  and  tliouf;;]!  soarcoly  turned 
tlirci-  dei.-ades,  lias  achieved  that  which  many 
hotel  men  fail  to  reach  in  a  long  life  of  service. 


bus,  and  has  served  as  district  deput}'.  At  one 
time  secretary  of  the  Citizens'  League,  he  was 
nominated  as  candidate    of  the    law    and    or- 


Indiiii^  as  we  hegun,  i(  is  a  case  of  jiersonality 
-the  (itting  of  the  man  to  the  vocation. 


Columbia    Hotel. 

der  foree.s  for  mavor  of  the    citv,  l)ut  declined 


B.  T.  KEATING 


Mr.  I>.  'I'.  Keating  is  district  inaMager  of  the 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  (."ouipany  of  New  York. 
and  lias  l)een  in  its  service  for  twenty-iive  years. 
He  has  the  distinction  tif  havin.g  written  the 
second  largest  life  insurance  ]iolicy  ever  taken 
out  in  tlie  State  of  Illinois,  the  one"  for  $2.^)0,000 
on  the  life  of  Mr.  K".  W.  Crawford  of  this  city. 
Few  agents  stand  higher  with  the  comjiany,  and 
he  has  been  olVeicd  a  state  agency  at  a  hand- 
some salary  and  i>rei|ni>iles,  l)ut  lie  j/refers  to 
remain  in  the  old  home.  Mr.  Keating  luis  also 
been  secretary  ami  manager  of  the  Home  Build- 
ing &  Loan  Association  for  the  i»ast  eighteen 
yeai-s,  and  has  conducted  its  affairs  with  dis- 
tinguished success.  lie  was  for  many  years 
president  of  the  Father  Matthew  Total  Abstin- 
ence Society,  was  state  treasurer  of  the  Catholic 
Total  Abstinence  Union,  has  l)een  for  several 
terms  (irand  Knight  of  the  Knights    of  Colum- 


becau.se  of  disinclination  for  political  activities. 
Mr.  Keating  enjoys  liigh  consideration  as  a  citi- 
zen, and  has  won  for  himself  a  comfortable  com- 
petency and  an  honorable  place  in  the  esteem  of 
the  community. 

These  facts  are  ><i'\  down  liy  the  writer  with 
more  emphasis  than  Mr.  Keating  would  care  to 
jtlace  on  them,  because  they  are  the  necessary 
l)ackground  of  a  story  of  achievement  which  is 
one  of  the  most  inspiring  in  the  book.  Mr. 
Keating 's  life  story  reads  like  a  romance.  At 
one  time  there  were  many  like  it  in  the  old 
world,  but  thauks  to  humane  legislation,  they 
are  gi-owing  rarer. 

Ife  was  born  near  the  historic  Bothwell 
Castle  on  the  river  Clyde,  in  vScotland.  in  1857. 
His  parents  were  from  Armagh,  Ireland.  They 
were  jjoor,  and  young  Barney,  as  was  the  cus- 
tom in  those  days,  had  to  go  down  into  the  coal 
miiu's  at  nine  years  of  age.  Every  morning  at 
five  he  had  to  descend  into  the  pit,  and  there 
were  many  winters  that  the  poor  lad  never  saw 
the  sun  shine  except  on  Sundays.  But  the  boy 
had  a  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  Scotland  then 


148 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


as  now,  foremost  in  love  of  education,  furnished 
the  pit-boy  an  opportunity.  For  seven  years  he 
went  to  night  school,  grounded  himself  in  the 
fundamentals  of  an  education,  and  finally  quali- 
fied himself  as  an  engineer. 

In  1882  the  lure  of  the  new  world  touched 
the  youth,  and  he  sailed  from  Glasgow  for  the 
land  of  dreams  with  only  a  steamship  ticket  and 
ten  dollars  in  his  pocket.  He  came  direct  to 
Streator,  arriving  here  with  only  one  penny  in 
his  ]iocket.  This  penny  he  still  prizes,  and  once- 
paid  $7.50  for  its  recovery  after  its  loss  in  the 
Heeiuin  fire. 

On  airiving  here,  finding  no  worlc  at  his 
trade,  he  found  employment  as  a  section  hand 
on  tlie  railroad  at  $1.10  per    day.  Later    lie  got 


B.  T.  Keating. 

worlc  in  the  Coal  Run  mines  as  mule  .Iriver, 
which  he  accepted  confidently,  though  Aviien  lie 
went  to  harness  his  mule  it  was  t!ie  first  time  lie 
had  e--.-er  put  strap  to  horse  or  mnle.  Of  course 
he  succeeded,  as  such  assurance  aud  energy 
must,  and  he  became  successively  mule  boss, 
then  engineer,  and  still  later  superiutendent  of 
the  mine.  In  the  latter  capacity  Mr.  Keating 
was  the  first  to  hoist  coal  out  of  the  lower  vein 
in  8treator. 

During  his  strenuous  years  in  the  mines  he 
passed  through  many  vicissitudes  and  dangers 
from  mine  floods  and  gas  explosions.  Still  on 
the_  sunny  side  of  sixty,  in  the  ripe  maturity  of 
a  vigorous  manhood,  he  looks  back  on  his  hard- 
ships with  a  smile;  and  if  he  has  any  pride  in 


any  of  it,  it  is  in  the  achievements  of  the  little 
pit-boy,  who,  with  coal-grimed  eyes  intent  on 
text  book,  studied  out  the  rule  of  three  in  the 
night  schools  of  Scotland.  In  that  lad  was  the 
promise  of  the  i^rosperous  business  man  now  re- 
spected as  one  of  Streator 's  best  citizens,  Mr. 
B.  T.  Keating. 


M.  A.  BRONSON 


If  ever  La  Salle  County  lioasts  an  aristoc- 
racy of  "oldest  families,"  tlie  name  of  Bronson 
will  give  its  holders  entrance  into  the  inmost 
circles;  for  the  records  of  the  county  show  the 
Bronsons  to  have  been  among  the  earliest  set- 
tlers. The  wing  of  the  family  represented  by 
M.  A.  Bronson  settled  near  Deer  Park  and  he 
spent  his  infancy  and  boyhood  on  the  parental 
farm.  He  came  to  Streator  in  1874  and  has 
since  made  tliis  city  his  home. 

Mr.  Bronson  is  one  of  the  most  active  and 
lU'ominent  factors  in  the  democratic  party  in 
La  Salle  County,  and  lias  been  a  memjjer  of  the 
democratic  county  central  committee  for  ten 
years.  Whenever  his  ])arty  has  sought  a  win- 
ning candidate  for  the  county  legislature  it  has 
turned  to  M.  A.  Bronson,  and  not  in  vain.  The 
result  is  that  lie  is  now  serving  hi ;  eleventh 
year  as  super\isor.  During  four  of  these  years 
he  has  served  as  chairman  of  the  board,  a  dis- 
tinction bestowed  on  but  one  other  city  super- 
visor beside  himself  in  the  history  of  the 
county.  For  the  board  of  sujtervisors  is  con- 
ti'olled  by  its  fanner  members,  and  between 
these  and  the  city  members  there  is  always 
more  or  less  contention  because  of  the  clash  of 
interests  over  land  valuations  for  taxation  pur- 
jjoses.  The  chairman  of  the  board  of  su]iervis- 
ors  is  by  virtue  of  his  office  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Eeview,  and  that  his  farmer  col- 
leagues should  have  had  the  confidence  in  Mr. 
Bronson  to  elect  him  to  this  ])()sition  is  an 
honor  rarely  bestowed,  and  to  be  highly  valued. 

The  supervisor  is  by  law  the  Relief  Officer 
of  the  township,  and  to  him  the  dependent  poor 
must  apply  for  help.  In  the  administration  of 
this  office  Mr.  Bronson  has  had  the  wisdom  to 
a]iply,  as  far  as  the  situation  pennitted,  the 
principles  of  modern  iih.ilanthropy.  He  has 
associated  himself  with  Women's  Clubs  and 
Associated  Charity  workers,  and  co-operated 
with  them  in  having  relief  administered  on 
some  well-considered  and  unified  system.  A 
special  worker  has  been  employed,  investiga- 
tions made,  records  kept,    and    often    heli^ful 


hi:  stoijv  ok  sthi:  \toi5. 


149 


counsel  as  weli  as  assistance  in  obtaining  em- 
ployment has  been  given  the  apijlicant.  Mr. 
Bronson's  ten  years'  record  as  relief  oflicer  is 
one  of  intelligent,  jirai'ticiil  licljifiilne'^s,  a  bene- 
ficence that  songiit  to  help  witliout  ijauperiziug 
the  beneficiarj'. 

Mr.  lironson  has  been  active  in  all  move- 
ments looking  to  the  welfare  of  the  city.  He  is 
a  nieniber  of  the  Conmieicial  Club,  of  uumy  fra- 
ternal orders,  and  is  the  chainnau  of  the  build- 
ing committee  which  has  just  erected  the  s])len- 
did  structure  for  the  Elks.       He  was    born    in 


M.  A.  Bronson. 

1850,  near  hetrnii.  Mirliigan.  came  to  La  Salle 
County  in  infancy,  ant!  has  remained  here 
since.  As  a  young  man  lie  taught  school  at 
jMackey's  school  house  and  in  District  Xo.  (J, 
while  Streator  was  yet  a  handet  Laler  he  was 
clerk,  then  railway  mail  agent  running  between 
Streator  and  Chicago,  and  later,  and  was  for 
twenty  years  the  representatix c  of  the  Anheu- 
.ser-l'usch  lirewing  Coni])any.  At  present  he  is 
the  Streator  representative  of  the  V.  Peter 
SchoenliolVen  llrewing  Company,  of  Chicago. 


W.  G.  FOSTER,  ARCHITECT 


AVhatever  beauty  of  exterior  Streator  pos- 
sesses, it  owes  iirimarily  to  the  architect.  Every 
beautiful  structure  is  fii-st  an  idea;  then  it  must 
be  clotlied  in  form,  and  made  suliservient  to  the 
\ises  of  men.  In  recent  years  the  man  to  whom 
Streator  owes  nu)st  of  its  structural  beauty  is 
W.  G.  Foster.    He  it  is  who  has  designed  many 


of  the  fine  residences  and  public  buildings  that 
adorn  the  city.  If  a  citizen  wants  to  build  a 
new  Lome  or  remodel  an  old  one,  his  first  step 
is  to  call  ou  the  architect.  To  him  he  will  tell 
the  number  and  size  of  rooms,  and  his  general 
idea  of  the  structure;  but  the  matter  of  style, 
design  and  ornament  is  left  almost  wliolly  lo 
the  architect.  Thus  it  comes  that  he  is  the  most 
potent  educator  of  taste  in  the  comnuinity.  Ev- 
ery structure  he  rears  is  a  model  which,  con- 
sciously or  unconsciously,  exerts  its  influence 
ou  every  passerby;  and  thus  not  only  the  pres- 
ent appearance  of  the  city,  but  tiie  taste  of  fu- 
ture generations,  depends  largely  on  the  ideas 
of  form  embodied  in  the  building  which  the 
genius  of  the  architect  calls  into  being. 

Streator  is  fortunate  in  possessing  a  resi- 
dent architect  trained  in  the  best  traditions  of 
arcliitectural  art.  W.  G.  Foster  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Tniversity  of  Illinois,  and  took  there  the 
] described  course  in  architecture.  Then  fol- 
lowed six  years  of  strenuous  i)rofessional  work 
in  Ciiicago,  in  the  olHces  of  some  of  its  most 
eminent  architects,  among  them  Howard  Shaw, 
the  famous  desigTier  of  residejice  sti'uctures. 
lie  came  to  Streator  in  1!M)S  a.s  a  ]iartner  in  the 
firm  of  Field  iV:  Foster,  and  since  the  death  of 
his  partner  has  continued  the  business  in  his 
own  name. 

The  latest  ci'eation  of  Mi-.  Foster's  genius  is 
the  new  I'^lks  buihliiig,  which  tlie  writer  has 
heard  '•ailed  the  most  jjcrfect  club  structure  in 
the  coiuitry.  'J'his  the  artist  has  designed  some- 
what along  Greek  lines,  modified  by  Colonial 
tendencies.  Its  fine  pro])ortions  may  be  seen 
in  the  cut  shown  elsewhere.  Another  impor- 
tant building  now  under  construction  from  his 
plans  is  the  St.  Stephen's  .scliool. 

Perhaps  the  most  jierfect  examjjle  of  archi- 
tecture of  tlie  Colonial  type  Streator  jiossesses 
is  the  new  suburban  residence  of  Mr.  F.  Plumb 
in  Marilla  Park,  the  interior  of  which  Mr.  Fos- 
ter regai'ds  as  strictly  Colonial  in  style.  The 
building  of  the  Williams  Hardware  Company, 
shown  elsewhere,  represents  tlie  Foster  idea  in 
store  construction.  Other  recent  stnictures 
from  the  designs  of  Mr.  Foster  are  the  residen- 
ces of  Messrs.  Schurman,  E.  C.  Kline,  Dr.  Dor- 
sey,  W.  E.  Connors,  St.  Antliony's  rectory  and 
the  parocliial  residence  of  Father  p]gan  in  Eagle 
township.  He  lias  been  called  out  of  town  to 
design  several  churches,  notably  the  Pnssbyter- 
ian  at  Grand  Kidge,  the  Baptist  at  Minonk,  Xor- 
wegian  Lutlieran  at  Ottawa,  and  the  German 
Evangelical  at  Dixon,  111. 

Mr.  Foster  is  noted  for  the  accuracy  and 
completeness  in  the  drawing  of  his  plans   and 


150 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


specifications,  and  the  writer  lias  heard  it  stat- 
ed on  authority  of  one  of  the  biggest  contract- 
ing firms  in  Central  Illinois  that  there  are  no 
papers  come  into  their  office  for  estimates  so 
free  from  doubts  and  ambiguity  as  those  of  the 
Streator  architect. 

The  most  important  addition  in  recent  years 
to  the  architectural  resources  in  the  matter  of 
exterior  facing  of  buildings  is  the  dark  vitri- 
fied brick.  Most  of  Streator 's  important  build- 
ings have  been  faced  with  them  in  recent  years, 
and  in  Chicago  their  use  is  growing  at  a  re- 
markable rate.  In  view  of  Streator 's  prospec- 
tive expansion  as  a  manufacturing  point  for 
these  brick,  it  is  good  to  have  a  favorable  ex- 
pert opinion  on  them.  Mr.  Foster  states  with 
deliberation  that  Streator  vitrified  brick  have 
no  equal  in  the  world  for  facing  purposes;  that 
there  are  none  produced  that  have  .  such  rich, 
deep  shades,  which  can  be  ran  down  into  the 
blacks  if  desired. 

W.  G.  Foster  was  born  on  a  fami  in  Vennil- 
lion  County,  Illinois,  brouglit  up  as  a  farmer's 
boy,  took  his  early  education  in  the  common 
schools  and  finished  in  the  state  university. 
He  is  now  building  a  residence  in  Streator,  and 
regards  himself  a  permanent  resident  of 
Streator. 


M.  MEEHAN,  JOURNALIST 


Wlien  the  industrial  progress  of  Streator 
was  committed  by  the  Commercial  Club  to  the 
liands  of  its  new  secretary,  there  were  voices 
heard  asking  the  question: 

"Who  is  this  Mr.  Meehan  that  has  been  en- 
trusted with  so  important  a  position?" 

It  is  a  fair  question,  and  the  editor  feels  that 
it  should  be  answered  in  tliis  book,  "The  Story 
of  Streator,"  which  Mr.  Meehan  has  been  chief- 
ly responsible  in  calling  into  existence.  Ac- 
cordingly he  has  prevailed  on  him  to  permit  the 
publication  of  such  facts  as  the  public  is  entit- 
led to  know  about  the  new  secretary  of  the 
Commercial  Club. 

First,  it  should  be  explained  that  Mr. 
ban  is  not  a  professional  "write-up" 
"The  Story  of  Streator"  is  the  first  aud 
work  of  the  kind  he  has  ever  engaged  in,  and 
the  character  of  the  book  shows  at  a  glance  its 
difference  in  conception  and  execution  from  the 
usual  advertising  "write-ups." 

Who  then  is  Mr.  Meehan? 

He  is  a  man  who  has  given  his  whole  life  to 
educational  and  newsj)aper  work,    the    latter 


Mee- 
man. 
only 


years  having  been  devoted  wholly  to  editorial 
writing-  and  control.  He  was  born  in  Lindsay, 
Ontario,  Canada,  in  1859,  and  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  and  at  St.  Basil's 
College,  Toronto.  After  a  period  in  the  book 
trade,  lie  went  into  school  work,  the  last  six 
years  of  which  was  spent  as  county  superin- 
tendent and  principal  of  schools  at  Vermillion, 
seat  of  the  State  University  of  South  Dakota. 
From  teaching  he  went  to  journalism  and 
became  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Carthage 
(AIo.)  Daily  Eeview.  In  1896  he  became  editor 
of  the  Joplin,  (Mo.)  Globe,  and  remained  there 
for  six  years.  In  1902  he  assumed  the  editorial 
management  of  the  Concord,  New  Hampshire, 
Daily  Pati'iot,  and  remained  in  charge  for  about 
ten  years  until  the  paper  was  sold.    While  there 


M.  Meehan. 

he  was  the  intimate  friend  of  iNlrs.  Mary  Baker 
Eddy,  and  wrote  a  book  of  four  hundred  pages 
called  "History  of  the  Great  Mrs.  Eddy  Trial," 
which  sold  at  $5.00  per  volume  .He  is  also  the 
author  of  a  volume  on  the  New  Hampshire  pri- 
maiy  law.  During  his  control  of  the  Patriot  the 
paper  celebrated  its  one  hundredth  anniver- 
sary. After  the  sale  of  the  paper  he  came  west 
ami  assumed  the  liusiness  management  of  the 
Quincy  (111.)  Daily  Journal,  and  remained 
there  nearly  a  year  until  illness  compelled  him 
to  undergo  a  serious  ojieration  in  the  hospital. 
On  recovering  from  his  operation  he  was 
made  publicity  manager  of  the  great  Missis- 
sippi dam  project  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  han- 
flled  all  the  newspapers  between  Burlington 
and  Hannibal,  great  and  small,  in  the  interest 


THE  STORY  OF  STRKATOR. 


151 


of  that  enteiijrise.  On  concluding  that  engage- 
ment, not  (Ifsiriiig  to  iv-entor  editorial  woi-k, 
he  was  atti-a<'te<l  to  Slreator,  ami,  l)eing  much 
impressed  with  it,  determined  to  reiuaiu  and 
get  out  this  volume. 

On  his  return  to  the  west  from  New  Hamp- 
shire Mr.  M<'ehan  brousiht  witli  liim  a  sheaf  of 
personal  letters  from  men  emiMcnt  in  pul)lic 
life,  testifying  to  his  worth  in  manj-  capacities, 
v\-hich  any  man  might  be  jiroud  to  earn  by  a 
life  time  of  liii^di  living.  A  few  excerpts  may 
help  to  introduce  him  here. 

As  a  Speaker. 

He  stood  liii;li  in  liis  parly  and  was  chair- 
man of  the  democratic  state  convention.  Says 
Mr.  Clarence  K.  Carr,  noininee  for  CJovernor: 

"He  is  a  facile  and  ready  speaker,  and  a 
good  presiding  ollii-er.  As  chairman  of  a  con- 
vention or  on  tlie  stump,  he  is  e<|ually  forceful 
and  eloquent." 

As  a  Public  Spirited  Citizen. 

Says  .ludiif  ('harics  1",.  Curiiiim-.  mayor  of 
Concord  for  the  j)ast  si.x  years: 

"lie  has  taken  a  prominent  i)art  in  public 
affairs,  both  personally  and  as  editor,  showing 
interest  in  pidilie  i|uestioiis  and  pi'oitiotini;-  all 
loeal  mea-ures  caleulati'd  i'or  iniproNfment  and 
jirogress. " 

As  a  Writer. 

Connneudali(m  from  \V.  .).  l.rvan    is    some- 


thing to  be  proud  of.    Says  the  great  publicist: 
'"I  have  known    Mi\    Michael    Meehan  for 

many  years.    He  has  unusual  editorial  ability. 

He  knows  what  to  write,  and  how  to  write  it.    I 

am  glad  to  commend  him." 

From  Hon.    E.  N.    Pearson,    Secretary    of 

State,  N.  H. :    "A  bright,  versatile  and  forceful 

writer,  keen  in  analysis,    logical    in  reasoning, 

happy  in  expression." 

As  a  Man. 

Pages  might  be  added  of  similar  encomiums, 
but  one  must  suffice.  It  is  from  the  pen  of  Hon. 
E.  E.  Kced,  for  eight  years  mayor  of  Manches- 
ter, a  city  of  70,000  people.    Says  Mr.  Reed: 

"Not  only  one  of  the  ablest  editorial  writers 
in  the  country,  but  also  that  he  is  one  of  New 
llam|isliire's  lirst  eitizens,  may  be  testified  to 
by  the  thousands  of  friends  whom  he  has  sur- 
rounded himself  with  since  his  residence  here." 

Enough  has  been  said  to  justify  the  Com- 
mereial  Club  in  its  selection  of  its  new  secretary 
and  to  introduce  him  properly  to  the  citizens  of 
Streator.  A  man  of  broad  knowledge,  of  ripe 
experience,  of  rare  personal  gifts  in  meeting 
juen,  of  boundless  faith  in  tiie  iiidusli-ial  des- 
tinj'  of  Streator,  ^Ir.  Meehan  will  prove  an  in- 
valuable agent  in  the  forthcoming  development 
of  the  city. 


City   Park. 


152 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


MEN  IN  THE  PROFESSIONS 

LEADING    PHYSICIANS,    LAWYERS,  DENTISTS  AND  OFFICE  MEN 
OF  THE  CITY  OF  STREATOR. 


DR.  CHAS.  L.  TAYLOR 

Among  the  sketches  of  professional  men  of 
Streator,  there  is  one  that  by  common  consent 
will  take  precedence.  It  is  that  of  Dr.  Charles  L. 
Taylor,  dentist,  ])nblicist,  hnmanist.  Not  alone 
because  he  was  eminent  in  his  profession — and 
few  have  equalled  him  in  that — but  ])ecanse  of 
all  that  he  was  above  and  beyond  his  profession. 
It  is  what  a  man  knows  outside  of  his  business 
that  measures  his  culture;  it  is  what  a  man  does 
outside  his  vocation  that  marks  his  eminence  as 
a  citizen.  And  it  is  Dr.  Taylor's  attainments 
and  sei-vices  in  these 
directions  that  entitle 
him  to  precedence,  and 
stamps  liim  as  pre-emi- 
nent among  the  profes- 
sional men  of  Streator. 
Professional  work  is 
intensive  in  its  ten- 
dency, absorbing  in  its 
demands  on  the  prac- 
titioner, and  there  are 
few  who  can  give  their 
best  to  their  work  and 
have  any  strength  left 
to  give  to  public  causes. 
Thus  it  is  that  the  com- 
munity is  deprived  of 
the  services  of  its  fin- 
est and  best  trained 
minds,  and  nearly  ev- 
ery healer  comes  to 
consider  himself  ex- 
empt from  the  larger  duties  of  citizenshij), 
and  a  non-combatant  in  the  great  struggles 
going  on  about  liim  in  which  he  could  be  a 
leader.  Not  so  Dr.  Taylor.  A  full  half  of  his 
life  was  given  to  non-professional,  non-gainful 
labors.  And  it  is  for  this  reason  that  tlie  pres- 
ent writer,  who  knew  him  intimately  for  many 
years,  esteems  him  as  the  ideal  professional 
man — one  who  having  superior  gifts  of  educa- 


Dr.   Chas.  Taylor 


tion  and  intellect,  places  them  freely  at  the  ser- 
vice of  the  community. 

Did  this  retard  his  progress  in  his  profes- 
sion? Let  tlie  record  answer  this  question: 
He  was  president  of  the  State  Dental  So- 
ciety; president  of  the  La  Salle  County  Dental 
Society;  delegate  to  the  International  Dental 
convention  at  St.  Louis;  member  of  the  State 
Board  of  Dental  Examiners— this  without  so- 
licitation and  made  without  his  knowledge.  He 
was  organizer  of  the  Dental  Fellowship  Club 
of  Streator  and  was  much  in  demand  at  dental 
gatherings  for  scientific  papers. 
What  were  his  public  activities? 

He  was  president  of 
the  Board  of  Education 
for  five  years,  aldennan 
of  tlie  third  ward  for 
two  terms,  and  chair- 
man of  tlie  park  com- 
mission at  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  was 
in-esident  of  the  Church 
of  Good  Will,  a  pro- 
gressive religious  or- 
ganization, and  for 
many  years  the  faithful 
superintendent  of  its 
Sunday  school.  These 
indicate  in  only  a  small 
way  the  manifold  ac- 
tivities of  Dr.  Taylor, 
but  they  do  show  his 
singular  greatness  of 
mind — a  greatness  that 
did  not  despise  to  use 
big  talents  in  small  offices,  a  greatness  that  was 
willing  to  serve  where  the  diiidgery  was  gi-eat 
and  the  glory  small,  whether  in  the  ranks  or 
at  the  head  of  the  column,  wherever  and  when- 
ever duty  called.  Greatest  of  all  he  was  con- 
spicuous in  a  profession  that  tends  to  turn  men 
inward  and  selfward,  in  giving  himself  lavishly 
and  unselfishly  to  the  good  of  the  town,  its 
people,  its  institutions  and  its  prosperity. 


THK  STORY  OF  STRKATOR. 


153 


It  was  because  of  tliis  sclf-giviug  spirit  that 
tlic  following  could  be  tnitlifuily  written  of  him 
when  lie  i)assed  on. 

"With  the  passing  of  Dr.  Charles  R.  Tayloi- 
we  lose  our  most  pul)li(;-si)irite(l  citizen.  Not 
that  lie  was  most  conspicuously  identiiied  with 
l)rominent  afTairs  or  stood  forth  in  the  lime- 
light of  imhlicity;  not  that  he  was  aggressive, 
dominating  or  assertively  constituted,  for  he 
was  none  of  these.  Hut  in  ipiiet,  persistent,  un- 
asismning  ways,  in  doing  unasked  connnonjilace 
work,  laborious  work,  much  of  it  in  loyalty  to 
unpopidar  ideals,  in  warm-hearted  lueadth  of 
vision  and  (|uick  responsiveness  to  demands  on 
his  ]nirs«',  time  and  energies,  Dr.  Taylor  embod- 
ied many  of  the  splendid  (jualities  of  the  com- 
ing man,  the  man  vitalized  by  a  .social  puri)ose. 

"lie  was  cMtliolic  in  his  large  tolerance, 
winning  in  his  gt-nial  ways  with  men,  and  so  he 
lived  among  us,  doing  so  cheerfully,  so  modest- 
ly, so  patiently  and  lovingly  his  share  in  the  so- 
cial, l)usiness  and  family  relations  which  nuike 
for  social  harmony  and  ordi-r,  that  we  scare  rea- 
lized how  much  his  services  meant  to  tliis  com- 
munity. 

"In  many  resjiects  his  jiassing  is  not  sad,  for 
he  left  so  mucli  liehind.  lie  did  not  live  a  long 
life,  but  a  full  life,  lie  has  not  gone  far  away, 
but  only  passed  on  to  larger  si)heres  of  service, 
leaving  behind  a  wealth  of  line  memories,  ten- 
der sympathies,  noble  deeds,  loving  acts,  kind 
looks,  hearty  fellowsiiip  and  'good  will  to 
men. '  " 

Charles  K.  'I'avlor  was  born  in  1S4S  ni'ar 
Folkstone,  Kngland,  and  died  Sept.  1.!,  liHHi,  at 
Streatoi-,  111.,  where  he  had  lived  since  1S77  in 
the  practice  of  liis  profession.  In  187!'  he  nuir- 
ried  Miss  Jennie  Phelps,  of  Sandwicli,  111.,  who 
sunives  him. 


DRS.  R.  AND  C  SCHURTZ 

One  of  the  oldest  and  most  respected  mem- 
bers of  the  medical  fraternity  in  Streator  is 
Dr.  K.  Schurtz.  There  are  few,  if  any,  who 
have  a  larger  or  more  successful  jiractice.  lie 
came  to  Streator  in  ]886  from  Cass  County, 
Michigan,  where  he  had  been  in  practice  for  ten 
years.  A  large  practice  attendeil  him  from  the 
start,  and  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has 
perhaps  been  the  town's  hardest  working 
physician.  In  addition  to  his  medical  work  he 
has  not  shrunk  from  ])nblic  service,  and  has 
been  president  of  tiie  Board  of  P^ducation  since 
li)07.'ile  was  born  in  Constantine,  Michigan,  in 
1851,  educated  in  Kalamazoo  and  Ann  Arbor, 


Mich.,  took  regular  courses  in  medicine  and  sur- 
gery, and  in  1902  took  a  special  course  in  elec- 
tro-thera]>eutics.  He  owns  a  farm  of  440  acres 
in  La  Fayette  County,  111.,  wiiich  occupies  any 


R.  Schurtz,   .M.   D. 


Claik  Studio 


vacation  or  other  intervals  tlie  doctor  can  sjiare 
from  a  busy  life. 

With  him  is  associated  his  son,     Dr.     Carl 


Carl   Schurtz,  il.   D. 


Clark  Studio 


Schurtz,  who,  while  assisting  his  fatlier  on  oc- 
casion, has  his  own  independent  pi-actice.  The 
younger  Dr.  Schurtz  was  educated  in  Eush 
Medical  College,  and    Mai'ion  Sims,  St.  Louis, 


154 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


gTaduating  from  the  latter  iu  1900.  He  enjoys 
a  fine  general  practice  and  is  especially  expert 
iu  snrgery.  His  popnlarity  may  be  judged 
from  the  fact  that  he  was  chosen  by  ballot  by 
the  employes  of  the  Streator  Paving  Brick 
Company  when  it  became  necessary  to  choose  a 
physician  for  the  works  by  the  liability  com- 
pany. 


DR.  D.  S.  CON  LEY 


Dr.  D.  S.  Conley  is  one  of  Streator 's  foremost 
professional  men,  whose  prominence  as  a  physi- 
cian has  not  been  obtained  by  the  sacrifice  of 
his  interests  as  a  citizen.  A  man  of  mgged  in- 
deiaeudence,  and  conscientious  to  the  extreme, 
Dr.  Conley  has  adhered  to  a  high  code  of  honor 
in  his  public  and  professional  relations,  and  has 
stood  b)'  his  convictions  when  it  might  have 
been  easier  to  truckle.  He  is  a  strong  advocate 
of  the  duty  of  medical  men  to  take  their  share 
of  the  bnmt  of  public  work,  and  has  urged  that 


'■m^^'' 

;^:     ' 

V-  ■• 

D.  S.  Conley,  M.  D.        Clark  Studio 

duty  in  season  and  out  in  the  many  medical  so- 
cieties of  which  he  is  a  member.  That  he  prac- 
tices what  he  preaches  is  evidenced  by  the  fact 
that  he  has  been  three  times  president  of  the 
board  of  health,  is  a  member  of  the  school  board 
and  chairman  of  the  teachei-s'  committee;  was  a 
member  of  the  j^ensiou  board  under  the  Cleve- 
land second  administration;  was  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  city  physicians'  club;  is  ex-xiresident 
of  the  La  Salle  County  Medical  Society;  and 
also  ex-president  of  the  Streator  Club.    He  is  a 


loyal  member  and  worker  of  the  medical  socie- 
ties of  the  cit}%  county,  north  central  district, 
state  and  nation.  1).  S.  Conlej^  was  born  on  a 
farm  in  Blooming  Grove  Township,  Bichland 
County,  Ohio.  As  a  boy  he  attended  country 
school,  and  Plymouth  High  school.  As  a  youth 
of  eighteen  he  taught  school  in  the  winter  to 
eke  out  his  earnings  and  prepare  himself  for  his 
career.  Was  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Michigan  in  1883  in  the  first  group  to  take  the 
three  years'  course  in  medicine.  Started  prac- 
tice in  Kalamo,  Mich.,  in  1887,  where  he  was 
also  a  member  of  the  school  board  and  township 
treasurer.  He  came  to  Streator  in  1887,  where 
he  has  created  for  himself  a  fine  practice  and 
an  honored  place  in  the  esteem  of  the  com- 
munity. 


DR.  ROY  SEXTON 


Dr.  Koy  Sexton  is  one  of  the  foremost  medi- 
cal practitioners  of  Sti-eator.  He  stands  among 
the  iiighest  in  his  social  and  professional  con- 
)iections,  and  in  his  reputation  as  a  physician 
and  as  a  man.  His  scientific  predisposition  and 
study  has  led  him  to  give  special  attention  to 
surg''ry,  and  his  services  are  greatly  in  demand 


Roy  Sexton,  M  .D. 

as  an  operating  siirgeon,  in  which  department 
of  therapy  he  has  won  a  distinguished  success. 
Dr.  Sexton  is  the  son  of  Mr.  James  Sexton,  a 
prominent  and  respected  citizen  of  Streator, 
who  was  for  many  years  a  successful  faiTuer 
north-east  of  the  city.    The  doctor  was  born  on 


THE  STORY  OP  STHRATOR. 


155 


his  father's  fanii  Jan.  2,  18(58,  and  was  gradu- 
ated from  Streator  lli.<<h  SclionI  in  LSSo.  He 
took  Jii.s  IMi.  V>.  degree  at  Uberlin  Univei-.sity, 
Oberliu,  Ohio,  in  18!)0,  and  his  medical  degree 
from  tlie  Xortliwestern  University  Medii-al 
Scliool  in  ].S!)4.  J[e  studied  abroad  six  months, 
began  i)raetice  in  <  'hit-ago,  taught  in  tlie  Col- 
lege dis{)eusary  there,  and  came  to  Streator  in 
ISUG,  where  he  has  since  remained,  lie  is  a 
iiicmlier  of  the  Masons,  Elks,  Maccabees  and 
WoiMliiien;  and  served  six  years  on  the  library 
board,  the  j-ears  during  which  time  the  new 
fetnicture  was  built. 


DR.  HARRY  S.  LESTER 


With  the  advance  of  scientific  k)iowledge, 
specialization  l)ecomes  inevitable,  and  Dr.  Har- 
ry H.  Lester  has  taken  for  his  special  i)rovince 
those  maladies  that  alTlict  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and 
throat.  Jle  has  not  always  confined  himself  to 
those  organs,  but  sujierimposed  his  specialty 
on  the  l)road  founrlation  of  eight  years  of  gen- 
eral medical  prictice.     He  has  found  the  more 


Harry   S.    Losltr,   M.   D. 

limited  practice  almndaiitly  able  to  occupy  his 
talents  and  his  time,  and  his  office  hours  are  of- 
ten filled  to  i-eplefion,  some  of  his  cases  coming 
from  long  distances.  Dr.  Lester  is  distinctively 
a  western  man.  He  was  born  in  \'illisca,  Iowa, 
March  23,  187L  In  his  education  he  spent  two 
years  in  the  Villisca  High  School,  one  year  at 
the  AVestern  X(n-mal  ("ollege,  two  years  at  the 
State  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  at 


Shenandoah,  Iowa,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
Medical  Depaiiment  of  the  State  University  at 
Iowa  City,  Iowa.  He  took  post  graduate 
courses  at  the  Chicago  Policlinic,  Chicago,  and 
in  New  York  post  graduate  seliools.  He  engag- 
ed in  general  practice  in  Woodford,  Wis.,  in 
1895,  took  up  special  practice  in  190.S,  and  came 
to  Streator  in  1904.  Dr.  Lester  and  his  wife 
are  both  talented  devotees  of  vocal  art,  and  are 
active  in  support  of  the  best  musical  interests 
of  Streator. 


DR.  ALBERT  C.  PURCELL 


I>r.  .Vll)ert  C.  Purcell  is  one  of  Streator's 
sons  who  has  leaped  at  once  into  a  lucrative 
practice.  His  father.  Mr.  INlichael  Purcell,  was 
one  of  Streator's  early  and  higiiiy  respected 
citizens,  who  founded  tlie  inei'cantiie  firm  of  M. 
Purcell  &  Co.,  which  is  still  controlled  by  the 
Purcell  family,  and  is  one  of  the  leading 
houses  of  the  city.  Dr.  Purcell's  success  was 
jio  doubt  aided  by  his  wide  acquaintance  and 
honored  family  connection.  l)nt  tlie  main  fac- 
tor in  it  was  his  connection  with  tiie  late  Dr. 
W.  L.  Smith.  Dr.  Smith  had  established  the 
reputation  of  being  the  most  brilliant  oi)erat 
ing  surgeon  in  these  jiarts.  and  when  declining 


Albert  C.  Purcell,   M.  D. 

health  impelled  him  to  seek  assistance,  young 
Dr.  Purcell  attracted  his  attention  and  favor, 
and  he  invited  him  into  partnership.  This  was 
in  1907,  and  on  the  death  of  the  veteran  sur- 
geon the  young  doctor  succeeded  to  his  posi- 


156 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


tion,  wliicli  lie  lias  filled  with  distinguished 
success,  as  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that 
he  is  surgeon  for  the  Atcliison,  Topeka  and 
Santa  Fe  K.  R.,  the  American  Bottle  Company, 
and  the  Chicago,  Ottawa  &  Peoria  Ky.  Albert 
C.  Purcell  was  born  Nov.  25,  1880,  in  Streator, 
III,  was  graduated  from  Eush  Medical  College, 
and  later  was  interne  at  St.  Elizabeth  Hospital, 
Chicago,  111. 


DR.  H.  C.  HILL 


To  an  unusually  thorough  course  of  medical 
training,  Dr.  H.  C.  Hill  adds  a  family  predispo- 
sition for  medicine,  an  "inherited  tendency," 
so  to  speak,  that  is  given  to  but  few.  He  en- 
joys the  singular  distinction  of  being  the  son  of 
a  father  who  jjracticed  medicine  in  one  place 
for  forty  years,  and  who  gave  to  the  world  five 


H.   C.   Hill.   M.   D. 


Clark  Studio 


sons  who  adojited  tlie  medical  profession,  all  of 
whom  were  graduated  from  the  same  college — 
the  Eush  ]\Iedical.  Dr.  H.  C.  Hill  is  one  of  these 
five  brothers,  and  under  the  guidance  of  his  fa- 
ther his  preparation  has  been  most  tliorough. 
After  a  course  of  education  in  the  piiblic 
schools  and  Eureka  College,  Eureka,  1)1.,  he  was 
graduated  from  Eush  Medical  College  in  1904. 
He  took  a  special  course  in  the  Eye  and  Ear  In- 
firmary, New  York,  and  later,  in  1910,  crossed 
the  Atlantic  and  studied  in  the  hospitals  of 
London  and  '\''ienna.  Pie  began  practice  in 
Athens,  111.,  later  going  to  Springfield,  111., 
doing    special    work,    and  coming    to    Strea- 


tor in  1902.  He  specializes  in  diseases  of 
the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  thi-oat,  and  has  built  up 
a  lai-ge  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  various 
national,  state  and  county  medical  societies,  is 
a  Mason,  K.  of  P.,  etc. 


DR.  LYSTON  D.  HOWE 


Although  a  Streator  boy.  Dr.  L.  D.  Howe 
did  not  come  to  his  old  home  for  the  pi-actice  of 
his  profession  until  a  comparativeh'  recent 
peritid.  After  receiving  his  degree  he  opened 
liis  office  in  Leonore,  111.,  in  1903,  and  after  a 
jjeriod  in  Arizona  for  the  benefit  of  his  health, 
returned  to  Illinois  and  resumed  practice  in 
Cherry  in  1906.  He  was  physician  for  the  St. 
Paul  Coal  Company  in  Cherry  in  1909  when  the 
mining  disaster  occurred  which  sent  a  thrill 
of  horror  around  the  world  and  caused  the  loss 
of  nearly  ."JOO  lives.  As  a  member  of  the  rescu- 
ing party  that  went  down  into  the  fiery  furnace 
of  that  mine,  Dr.  Howe  won  and  received  the 
h.onors  due  a  hero;  and  his  deeds  then,  and  in 
attendance  on  the  victims  of  the  horror,  reflect- 
ed lienor  on  himself  and  the  profession  he  so 
nobly   represented.      The   disaster     practically 


Lyston 


M.  D. 


wiped  out  the  town  of  Cherry  for  a  time,  and 
Dr.  Howe  removed  to  his  old  home  and  began 
practice  here  in  1910.  He  was  boi'u  in  Strea- 
tor Sept.  24,  1880,  received  liis  education  at  its 
common  and  high  schools,  at  the  University  of 
Illinois,  and  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons. He  was  house  surgeon  for  tlie  latter 
college  and  served  as    interne    at    St.  Mary's 


THK  STOKV  OF  STKKATOR. 


157 


Nazaretli  Hospital,  Chicago.  lie  is  surgeon  for 
the  C.  Af.  &  S.  P.  I?v.,  and  tlie  Streator  MoUn- 
Car  Co. 


DR.  GEORGE  K.  WILSON 

Dr.  Ck'orgc  K.  Wilson  is  the  ialest  of  Strea- 
tor's  young  pliysiciaus  to  "make  good."  He 
ranic  to  tlie  city  about  four  years  ago  direct 
from  a  year's  service  as  lionse  piiysician  in  Al- 
l«';i:liaiiy  Jlospital,  I'iltslmrg,  I'a.  lie  liroiii,^ht 
witli  him  a  sphjiidid  c(|uipment  of  knowledge 
and  training  in  the  most  recent  achievements 
of  mi'dical  scicm-e,  and  a  love  of  his  profession 
wiiii'li  made  liim  prefer  its  pursuit  to  any  other 
recreation.  OhsiMuity  was  his  fate  for  a  time,  as 
it  is  for  most  young  doctors,  but  not  for  h)ng. 
Opportunity  knocked  at  his  door,  and  it  did 
not  ha\"e  to  kiioi'k  twice.     It  found  liim  ready. 


years  of  age.  Yet  notwithstanding  this  de- 
privation, slie  saw  six  of  them  tlirou<;ii  the  I^ni- 
versity  of  .Michigan  and  graduate  into  jirofes- 
sioiis.  Dr.  Wilson  was  born  at  Lake  Benton, 
Minn.,  in  1879,  came  to  I^a  Salle  County  at  3 
years,  was  graduated  from  Tonica  High  School 
at  1'),  went  to  Mirliinan  State  Xormal  College 
in  l!»0o,  to  Ann  Arbor  University  in  1!K)7, 
where  he  was  assistant  in  surgery;  was  house 
])hysician  in  Alleghany  Ilosjutal.  F'ittsburg, 
I'a..  in  1!*(1S,  and  came  to  Streatoi'  from  there. 
Dr.  Wilson  bi-lieves  the  foundation  of  treat- 
ment is  diagnosis,  and  gives  especial  attention 
to  his  e.xaminations. 


DR.  LLOYD  BRONSON 


Dr.  Lloyd  Brousou  bears  one  of  the  historic 
names  of  Streator.  His  grand-)>ar('nls  were 
among  the  earliest  settlers,  an<l  the  family 
name  is  widely  known  and  respected.  His 
father.  Dr.  (ieorge  Bronson,  was  for  years  one 
of  the  prominent  practitioners  of  the  city,  and 
one  of  its  nu)st  substantial  citizens.  Coming  of 
-ncli   stock.   ;nid   with   such   a   wide   lamilv  ac- 


and  so  good  an  aci-ount  did  he  nive  ot  liimsi 
(hat  he  was  soon  called  into  some  of  the  most 
important  cases  by  some  of  the  prominent  peo 
jde  of  the  city.  His  reitutation  was  made,  sind 
today,  after  less  than  four  years  of  i)ractice, 
the  name  of  Dr.  AVilson  is  a  familiar  one  in  the 
city,  as  well  known  as  many  of  the  older  family 
jihysicians,  an<l  his  jtraotice  is  large  and  well 
established.  It  is  pleasant  to  record  a  success  so 
rapid,  so  c(mii)lete  and  so  wholly  dependent  on 
the  merits  of  the  man.  Dr.  (ieo.  K.  Wilson  is 
the  son  of  a  Congregational  minister,  one  of 
eiii-ht  children,  whose  mother  was  left  a  widow 
without  means  when  the  youngest  was  three 


l>loyd   Bronson,   M.    U. 

(|naintauce,  it  is  little  wonder  that  young  Dr. 
J'ronson  came  to  a  prosi)erous  in-actice  with 
less  stniggle  than  usually  befalls  the  youthful 
])ractitioner.  He  began  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine in  June,  1908,  and  is  one  of  Streator's  ris- 
ing young  physicians.  He  was  born  in  Strea- 
tor in  1883,  and  received  his  medical  degree 
from  the  Northwestern  Medical  School  and  the 


158 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


University  of  Illinois.  He  took  a  si)ecial  course 
in  obsteti-ics  at  the  Chicago  Lying-in  Hospital 
Dispensary,  and  specializes  in  obstetrics  and 
the  diseases  of  children.  He  has  the  distinc- 
tion of  having  won  a  scholarship  at  tlie  North- 
western Medical  kSchool.  Dr.  Bronson  is  a 
member  of  the  Park  Presbyterian  cluirch. 


DR.  E.  E.  PERISHO 


Dr.  E.  E.  Perisho  is  a  typical  exannile  of  the 
American  professional  man,  the  tyi)e  of  which 
our  country  furnishes  so  many  honorable  ex- 
amples. Like  many  of  the  most  eminent  physi- 
cians of  the  west,  Dr.  Perisho  started  on  his 
upward  career  on  the  solid  foundation  of  a  far- 
mer's training  and  ex]ierience.  He  was  born  on 
a  farm  at  Yale,  111.,  attended  district  school  and 
was  graduated  in  due  time  from  high  school. 
At  17  years  of  age  lie  went  to  A'alparaiso,  Ind., 


E.   E.  Perisho,  M.  D. 

and  took  tlie  teacher's  course,  then  served  as 
principal  of  a  school  near  (_)blong,  111.,  for  a 
couple  of  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Val- 
paraiso and  took  the  pharmacy  coui-se.  From 
there  he  went  to  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgens,  Chicago,  affiliated  with  the  State  Uni- 
versity, and  after  taking  the  prescribed  course 
was  graduated  and  received  his  degree  of  M.  D. 
While  studying  at  the  university  he  spent  the 
summer  months  under  a  preceptor  at  Westtield, 
111.,  where  he  got  early  and  valuable  experience 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  began 
practice  on  his  own  account  at  Ancona,  111.,  in 


J897,  remained  there  seven  years,  then  removed 
to  Streator,  where  he  is  now  estalilished  in  an 
excellent  practice.  He  is  a  member  of  national, 
state  and  local  medical  societies,  and  stands 
high  in  the  esteem  of  the  great  life  insurance 
corporations,  for  which  he  is  resident  examiner. 
Among  these  are  the  New  York  Life,  the  New 
York  Mutual,  the  John  Hancock,  Union  Central, 
Merchants  Life  and  National  Life. 


DR.  M.  F.  DORSEY 


The  career  of  Dr.  M.  F.  Dorsey  furnishes  an 
example  of  one  of  those  surprising  successes 
that  occur  occasionally  in  the  history  of  the 
medical  practice.  He  came  to  Streator  about 
eleven  years  ago  fresh  from  college,  and  enjoys 
today  what  is  probably  tlie  largest  and  most  lu- 
crative practice  in  the  city.  At  any  rate  it  is  so 
large  that  he  has  been  forced  to  avail  himself 
of  tlie  services  of  an  assistant,  and  both  of  them 
are  kept  working  at  their  maximum  jiower.  He 
came  here  a  stranger,  had  no  pull,  and  did  not 
escape  the  year  of  starvation  that  comes  to  most 
yonug  physicians.     In  fact  he  lost  a  thousand 


M.  F.  Dorsey,  M.  D. 


Clark  Studio 


dollars  his  first  year  in  Streator  and  liad  to  send 
to  the  folks  at  home  for  helji.  iJut  lie  stayed  in 
his  othce,  stuck  to  his  work,  and  when  he  got  a 
patient  gave  the  best  that  was  in  him.  In  time 
this  absorbing  devotion  to  the  work  in  hand 
made  an  impression  on  the  patients.  The  new 
doctor  began  to  be  talked  about,  and  patients 
came  thick  and  fast;  surgical  cases,  examina- 


THh;  STOI5V  OF  STHKATOi;. 


169 


tions,  eonsultations  and  office  in-actice,  until 
he  was  so  hard  worked  that  liis  iiealth  gave  way. 
He  railed  in  to  helii  him  Dr.  L.  (^nillen,  graduate 
of  Northwestern  University,  who  liad  two  years 


Dr.  Ellen  Adelaide  Richards  is  one.  In  the 
niovoments  in  which  the  science  of  medicine 
touches  public  interests  it  is  douljtful  if  any 
male  member  of  the  profession  is  as  active  and 


Residence  of   Dr.   .\l.    F.   Dorsev. 


as  interne  at  .Mercy  hospital  Cliicago.  |)r. 
(^>nincn  makes  a  specially  of  lalmratory  work, 
for  wiiich  he  is  specially  titled,  and  he  makes 
the  microscopic  examinations,  the  blootl.  s\n\- 
tum.  and  urinary  tests,  the  rhcmical  analyses, 
blood  pr<'s>nrc  mcasurings,  contents  of  stomach 
testings,  etc.  On  the  basis  of  these  researches 
Dr.  Dorsey  makes  his  diagnosis  ami  treatment 
follows.  It  is  pleasant  to  record  siicli  a  success 
on  the  |>art  of  a  young  man  still  on  t!ic  sunny 
.'^ide  of  forty.  It  is  outwardly  evidcnrcd  l)y  his 
erection  of  one  of  the  handsomest  brick  residen- 
ces in  the  city.  Dr.  Dorsey 's  career  is  typically 
American,  liorn  on  a  farm  in  Lee  County,  in 
IS?.'!,  went  to  jtublic  school,  then  Xorlliern  Illi- 
nois { 'ollege.  AV'ent  back  home  and  taught  i-oun- 
Iry  school,  then  to  University  of  Iowa,  from 
there  to  liush  Medical  College,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1!>0(I,  came  to  Streator  in  l!t01,  and 
achieved  his  remarkable  succe.ss  here. 


self-giving  as   Dr.   l\i(l:ai-d.<.     As  a  member  of 

tlie  WduiaiCs  ('liristian  Temiierance  riiinii  ami 


DR.  ELLEN  A.  RICHARDS 


Tlie  place  of  women  in  the  healing,-  profes- 
sion is  honorabh-  upheld  in  Streator  by  two 
members  of  the  medical  fraternity,  of  whom 


Ellen  A.  Richards,  M.  D.        Clark  Studio 

other  social  movements,  .she  finds  time  and  en- 
ergy, apart  from  Iier  exacting  professional  du- 


160 


THE  STORY  OP  STREATOR. 


ties,  to  foi-ward  those  causes  she  has  at  lieart 
and  to  perfonu  public  diities  the  male  uicju- 
bers  of  the  profession  too  frequently  consider 
themselves  absolved  from.  Dr.  Kichards  is  a 
descendeut  of  the  ancient  Rogers  family  that 
came  to  this  country  from  England  in  IGo.j, 
and  settled  in  Connecticut.  She  was  born  in 
Alden,  Minnesota,  in  18(i7;  was  educated  at 
Hutchinson  aud  Minneapolis,  Minn.;  at  Battle 
Creek,  ]\[ich.,  and  Chicago.  She  practiced  in 
partnersliii)  witii  her  husband  for  two  years  in 
Chicago,  after  which  she  had  seven  years  of 
country  practice  in  Eastern  Illinois,  near  Wat- 
seka.  She  came  to  Streator  in  190(3.  Dr.  Rich- 
ards is  a  member  of  the  S.  D.  Adventist  church. 


DR.  IDA  M.  WOOLLEY 


Dr.  Ida  Mai'garet  Woolley  was  born  in  Es- 
men  Townshijj,  Livingston  County,  111.,  on  a 
farm  owned  by  her  father.  Dr.  ]\lilton  Woolley. 
AVhen  but  a  child  she  moved  with  hor  parents 
to  Streator,  111.,  where  she    received    her  pri- 


Ida  M.   Woolley,   M.   D. 

mary  education  in  the  public  and  high  schools. 
In  the  year  1887  she  began  teaching  in  the 
Streator  i^ublic  schools,  which  position  she  re- 
signed in  1890  to  enter  Knox  College,  Gales- 
burg,  111.  Here  she  waited  table  for  lier  board 
and  used  the  money  that  she  had  saved  teach- 
ing school  for  tuition,  books  and  clothes.  Her 
stay  at  Ejiox  was  limited  to  several  terms  ow- 
ing to  lack  of  money,  and  she  again  acce])ted  a 
position  as  teacher  in  the     Streator     schools, 


where  she  remained  some  time,  not  caring  to 
return  to  college,  as,  in  the  meantime,  her  class 
was  graduated.  Having  a  liking  for  medicine 
and  pharmacy  which  she  inherited  from  her 
father  and  grandfather  before  her,  she  entered 
the  Northwestern  University  School  of  Phar- 
macy, Chicago,  in  the  fall  of  1897,  from  which 
institution  she  was  graduated  in  1898.  Being 
allowed  one  year  in  medicine  for  pharmacy,  she 
enteied  the  Sojihomore  year  of  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  Keokuk,  la.  She 
was,  however,  required  to  "make  up"  Osteol- 
ogy, Histology,  Physiology  and  Embryology — 
studies  that  do  not  occur  in  pharmacy.  This 
was  a  veiy  busy  year  for  her.  During  the 
Senior  year  she  assisted  the  Chairs  of  Phar- 
macy and  Pharmacognosy,  and  thus  defrayed 
her  expenses.  She  also  took  a  post  graduate 
course  of  medicine  in  Chicago.  For  a  i)eriod  of 
five  years  Dr.  Woolley  did  relief  work  in  medi- 
cine and  phannacy  in  the  states  of  Illinois, 
Iowa  and  Missouri.  This  afforded  her  an  op- 
liortunity  to  become  acquainted  with  the  A'ar- 
ious  cities  throughout  these  states  and  also  a 
choice  of  the  same  for  the  practice  of  her 
chosen  ])rofession.  Dr.  Woolley  is  not  a  mem- 
l)er  of  any  church,  but  she  is  veiy  much  in 
svmiiatliy  with  any  organization  designed  for 
the  betterment  of  society  and  tlie  ujilifting  of 
mankind. 


DRS.  MUNSON  AND  BAILEY 

DENTISTS. 


Amid  the  discoveries  and  ad^•ances  of  these 
rapidly  moving  scientific  days  there  is  no  pro- 
fession that  has  made  greater  progress  than 
dentistry.  Originally  a  side  line  in  a  barlier 
shop,  dentistry  has  advanced  until  in  techniijue 
and  equipment  its  demands  on  the  practitioner 
are  scarcely  second  to  those  of  any  learned  ]>ro- 
fessions,  and  it  has  the  advantage  over  its  sis- 
ter professions  in  that  its  methods  are  exact — 
no  guess  work — aud  its  results    are    absolute. 

In  the  office  of  Drs.  Munson  &  Bailey  the 
latest  advantages  of  modern  scientific  treat- 
ment are  at  the  service  of  the  ]>atient.  Es]iecial- 
]y  do  they  call  attention  to  their  new  system  of 
])ainless  practice.  To  the  usual  preparation  for 
])rofessional  work  which  every  j^ractitioner 
must  undergo,  they  have  added  special  study 
and  special  equipment  for  the  elimination  of 
])ain.  Pain  is  the  great  dread  of  those  who  must 
liave  recourse  to  the  dental  chair,  and  Drs. 
Munson  &  Bailey  have  supplied  themselves  with 
every  new  scientific  appliance  and  discovery 


THE  STORY  OF  STKEATOR. 


161 


witli  which  to  overcome  that  dreaded  dental 
experience  from  wliicli  every  man  and  woman 
recoils.  And,  thanks  to  tiie  jirogress  of  science, 
they  are  glad  to  he  able  to  give  the  assurance 
that  painless  dentistry  is  at  least  an  accom- 
plished fact;  and  clients  may  visit  their  office 
with  the  al)soIute  certainty  they  are  not  going 
to  be  tortured. 


Ur.  K.  n.  Bailey. 

Among  the  agencies  for  the  banishing  of 
pain  is  the  nitrons  oxide  apparatus  for  i)ain- 
less  extractinii.  Nitrons  oxide  ami  oxygen  are 
both  used  also  for  painless  cavity  prepara- 
tion. The  oHice  is  c(|uip|)ed  with  a  full  com- 
jih'Tiu'iil  of  eh'ctrii-a!  appliances    used     in  the 


Dr.  V.  W.  Munson. 

IMMctice  of  modern  dentistry;  also  a  steam 
sterilizing'  outfit,  and  all  the  furnishings  of  an 
up-to-date  dental  office. 

The  Streator  office  is  one  of  three  owned 
and  ojierated  by  Drs.  ^funsou  tV  D.iiley,  the 
othet   two  being 


P>oth  jmrtners  are  graduates  of  iirst-elass  insti- 
tutions. Dr.  V.  W.  ^funson  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1898  from  the  Louisville  College  of 
Dentistry,  and  Dr.  E.  li.  Bailey  was  grad- 
uated fi'om  the  Illinois  School  of  Dentistrj', 
University  of  Illinois  in  1905. 

Dr.  .'Jailey  is  in  charge  of  the  Streator  of- 
fice, and  the  business  has  grown  so  large  that 
he  is  obliged  to  use  the  services  of  an  assi.-tant. 
One  of  the  causes  of  their  unusiml  success,  no 
ihaibt,  is  the  moderate  scale  of  .charges  for  iii'st 
class  work.  All  kinds  of  expert  dental  service 
are  performed,  but  however  expert  or  difficult 
the  treatment.  Dr.  Bailey  insists  on  reasonable 
charges  to  all.  The  office  is  at  317-319  East 
Main  street.    Phone  116. 


LLOYD  PAINTER 


in  Chicago     and  Quincy,  111. 


Among  the  younger  generation  of  public 
mfn  there  is  no  name  that  .shines  with  steadier 
lustre  or  more  promising  glow  than  that  of 
T.loyd  Painter,  the  present  city  attorney  of 
Streator.  He  has  been  in  the  jinblic  eye  since 
1903  when  he  was  first  elected  to  office,  then  a 
young  man  of  26,  and  has  steadily  held  his 
place  in  ]niblic  favor  until  the  present  time. 
His  life  has  all  of  it  l)een  lived  in  Sli-eafor;  it 
is  an  open  book  on  every  page  of  whidi  may  be 
read  a  record  of  honorable  achievement,  with 
never  a  blot  or  a  smear  to  sully  it.  It  is  this 
remarkable  openness  of  his  life,  together  with 
a  re])utation  for  integrity,  aljility  and  devotion 
to  public  service  that  mark  Lloyd  Painter  as 
one  of  the  rising  young  men  of  the  republican 
party,  and  of  the  La  Salle  County  bar. 

IFe  is  now  serving  his  third  term  as  city  at- 
torney, having  been  elected  to  the  office  in  1903, 
1905  and  again  in  1911.  The  third  term  was 
accepted  as  a  i)ublic  duty,  for  his  private  prac- 
tice has  now  grown  to  the  ]ioint  tliat  the  faith- 
ful performance  of  the  duties  of  the  office  in- 
volves considerable  pecuniary  loss.  Mr.  Pain- 
ter, however,  finds  contact  with  the  city  council 
and  its  work  pleasant,  and  this  compen.sates  in 
a  measure  for  the  loss  of  revenue.  The  great- 
est public  question  coming  up  in  the  present 
administration  is  that  involved  in  the  city's  re- 
lation to  the  water  company,  which  is  a  subject 
of  bitter  controversy.  Mr.  Painter  has  made  an 
exhaustive  study  of  the  law  on  this  question,  so 
as  to  be  in  a  position  to  jjroperly  advise  the 
council.  It  is  in  such  painstaking  labor  as  this 
that  the  quality  of  a  faithful  city  attorney  will 
count,  eveu  though  it  may  never  be  blazoned  to 


162 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


the  public  like  some  more  spectacular  or 
meretricious  feats.  It  is  the  solid,  euduring 
quality  of  Mr.  Painter's  work  that  has  jjaved 
the  way  to  his  present  success,  and  that  points 
the  way  unfailingly  to  a  successful  future. 

Lloyd  Painter  was  born  of  pioneer  stock  and 
bears  the  name  of  some  of  the  oldest  settlers  of 
this  vicinity.  He  is  the  son  of  Jackson  Painter, 
who  lived  on  a  farm  north-east  of  Streator,  un- 
til Lincoln's  call  to  arms  summoned  him  to  bat- 
tle at  the  age  of  twenty.  Lloyd  was  born  in 
1877,  spent  his  boyhood  here  and  received  his 
education  in  Streator 's  jmblic  and  high  schools. 
School  teaching  was  his  steiii)ing  stone  te  the 
law.  He  taught  country  scliools,  and  later  was 
principal  of  the  Grant  street  school.    Before  set- 


IJoyd  Painter. 

tling  down  to  his  life's  work  he  sated  the  wan- 
der-lust of  youth  by  a  year  of  travel.  This  he 
acquii'ed  by  a  tour  of  the  country  as  ca])tain  of 
the  Streator  Zouaves,  a  military  company 
which  won  much  fame  for  its  exhibition  drills. 
Returning  to  Streator  he  resumed  the  study  of 
law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1907. 

Of  warm  soi'ial  disjjosition,  it  was  natural 
he  should  ally  himself  with  the  social  organiza- 
tions of  the  town,  accordingly  we  find  him  a 
member  of  the  Streator  Clul),  the  Hlks,  the 
Woodmen,  the  ]\[utual  Protective  League  and 
the  Athletic  Club.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Park  Presbyterian  church. 


ARTHUR  H.  SHAY 


tliur  H.  Shay  as  one  of  the  leading  legal  lumi- 
naries of  the  state,  ])erhaps  of  the  nation.  For 
he  believes  Arthur  H.  Shay  to  be  of  the  stuff  of 
which  lawyers  of  national  prominence  are 
made.  As  it  is  he  must  be  set  down  as  among 
the  foremost  practitioners  of  the  city  and 
county.  On  the  iniblic  side  of  his  career  there 
is  little  to  be  chronicled.  He  has  been  too  busy 
practicing  law  to  make  himself  a  place  in  the 
jniblic  eye,  but  ho  has  built  up  a  practice  single 
handed  and  unaided  in  his  few  years  of  service 
that  is  equaled  by  no  other  office  in  Streator 
having  only  one  practitioner.  His  most  mark- 
ed characteristic  is  self-reliance.    In  his  fledge- 


Were  this  sketch  to  be  written  twenty  years 
later  the  writer  believes  he  could  refer  to  Ar- 


Arthur  H.   Shay. 

ling  days,  when  most  young  lawyers  are  wont 
to  call  in  the  assistance  of  county  seat  lawyers, 
young  Shay  went  it  alone,  and  succeeded  or 
failed  on  his  own  merits.  He  .succeeded  oftener 
tlian  he  failed;  because  of  his  indefatigable 
jiower  for  work,  and  his  ability  for  seeing  both 
sides  of  his  case.  Wlien  he  won  his  clients 
came  again  and  brought  others;  and  even  those 
whom  he  defeated  came  to  him  when  again 
needing  legal  services.  And  so  without  adven- 
titious aids,  by  sheer  force  of  brains  and  indus- 
try, he  has  made  for  himself  a  place  at  the 
forefront  of  the  bar.  Arthur  H.  Shay  was  born 
Feb.  18,  1872,  on  a  fai-m  near  Carthage,  111.; 
came  to  Streator  in  1881,  was  educated  in  its 


THE  STORY  OP  STREATOK 


163 


public  and  high  schools,  and  at  Northwestern 
University,  licgaii  the  ))ractice  of  law  in  1891 
alone,  and  has  Ix-en  at  it  ever  since.  He  has 
been  trial  attorney  for  the  (".  (!c  A.  E.  R.  seven 
years,  is  a  member  of  tiie  Streator  t'lnb.  Elks, 
Woodmen,  and  of  the  Pi-esbyterian  church. 


RUSSELL  C.  OSBORN 


Mr.  Russell  Carl  Osborn  is  a  nienilier  of  the 
leading  law  linn  of  the  city,  that  of  Hoys,  0.s- 
born  &  (iriggs.  .Mr.  Osborn 's  father  was  secre- 
tary of  state  for  Kansas,  and  he  was  employed 
in  his  father's  oilii-e  for  a  year  before  liegini'ing 
the  pi'actice  of  law.  lie  began  jii'a'-tii'ing  in 
Topeka,  Kansas,  in  ISiKi,  and  became  associated 
Mith  Mr.  Charles  J.  Devlin,  the  we!!  known 
owner  of  tlie  Devlin  coal  jn-operties  in  Spring 
X'alley,  Tnlnca  and  otiicr  Illinois  jioints.  Mr. 
Osborn  came  iiere  as  Mr.  Devlin's  attoiney,  ant! 
after  the  collaiKse  of  the  latter  came  in  contact 
with  Receiver  lieeves  while  settling  the  estate. 
T'leir  cooperation  in  liic  IV'vlin  settlement  led 
to  a  partnership  which  was  formed  under  the 
nam'  of  Reeves.  O>born  &  (iriggs.  and  later,  o;i 
the  death  of  Mr.  Reeves,  changed  to  lioys,  Os- 
born &  (Iriggs.  Since  that  time  ?\Ir.  Osboi-n 
lias  made  Stn-atur  his  home,  and  has  taken  an 
interest  in  everytinng  calculated  to  ui)lniild  the 


Russell  C.  Osborn. 

city.  A  rij)e  lawyer,  a  good  citizen,  liis  coming 
has  been  an  accession  to  the  civic,  .social  and 
intellectual  life  of  the  town.  Mr.  Osborn  was 
bom  in  Ames,  Iowa,  on  Feb.  20,  1872,  was  edu- 


cated in  Stockton  Academy,  and  in  Washburn 
Colle<>e.  Topeka,  Kansas.  He  established  him- 
self in  Streator  in  1896. 


EDWARD  M.  GRIGGS 


The  greatest  honor  that  could  befall  a  law 
student  in  Streator  was  to  be  invited  to  a  part- 
nership by  Hon.  Walter  Reeves.  This  honor 
came  to  Kdward  M.  Griggs,  on  his  admission  to 
the  bar,  after  iiaviu"-  been     a  student     in     Mr. 


Edward  M.  Griggs. 

Ree\es'  oflice.  When  the  great  lawyer  and  pub- 
licist passed  on  and  Mr.  Boys  returned  to  the 
office,  the  firm  name  became  Boys,  Osborn  & 
Griggs.  Tiie  junior  partnei-  lias  been  busy  jus- 
tifying Ml'.  Reeves'  judgment,  and  luis  liad  lit- 
tle tiujc  to  figure  in  jniblic  affairs;  but  he  has 
licen  digging  into  the  law,  trying  cases,  writing 
briefs,  and  attending  to  the  multifarious  de- 
tails which  the  business  of  a  l)ig  law  firm  brings 
to  the  office.  He  has  made  good,  and  the  future 
lies  before  him  big  with  jiromi-se.  Pie  was  bom 
in  Streator  Jan.  30,  1882,  was  educated  at  the 
local  ]iul)lic  and  high  schools,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  Beloit  College,  class  of  1903.  He  be- 
gan jiractice  in  190()  as  stated  with  Mr.  Reeves, 
the  finn  then  being  Reeves,  Osborn  &  Griggs. 
He  is  the  son  of  one  of  the  most  respected  citi- 
zens of  Streator,  Mr.  Oakley  Griggs,  for  30 
years  head  of  the  Oakley  Griggs  Drug  Co. 


164 


THE  STORY  OP  STREATOR. 


ROBERT  E.  LARKIN 


Robert  E.  Larkin  is  tl)e  junior  member  of 
the  ]aw  tinn  of  Lucey  &  Larkin  of  this  city. 
Mr.  Larkin  was  born  and  reared  two  miles  west 
of  Streator  in  the  town  of  Eagle.  He  received 
his  early  education  at  the  Kangley  public 
schools;  later  he  completed  his  classical  course 


Robei  t  E.  Larkin. 

of  studies  at  the  Streator  High  School  and  at 
St.  Bede  College,  in  this  state.  He  then  took  up 
the  study  of  law  and  in  October,  1906,  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Hlinois  bar.  Lumediately  there- 
after he  began  tlie  jiractice  of  law  in  this  city 
and  in  September,  1907,  foi-med  a  partnership 
with  P.  J.  Lucey,  of  this  city.  Mr.  Larkin  has 
also  been  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law  in  the 
District  and  Circuit  Courts  of  the  United  States 
and  has  successfully  conducted  cases  in  the  U. 
S.  Courts  and  the  highest  courts  of  the  state  of 
Illinois.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Streator  Club 
and  of  the  Streator  Commercial  Club.  He  has 
since  starting  in  business  in  Streator  always 
contributed  to  the  building  of  our  new  churches 
and  schools  and  to  all  ])ublic  enterprises.  His 
motto  is  "Progressive  Citizens  Make  Progres- 
sive Cities." 


WILLIAM  C.  JONES 


tinction  of  beginning  his  professional  career  in 
partnership  with  one  who  has  since  become  one 
of  the  most  famous  judges  in  America.  Mr. 
Jones  made  his  entrance  into  the  legal  arena  in 
Chicago  in  1892.  He  was  claim  attorney  for  the 
Grand  Trunk  Railway  and  became  associated 
while  in  that  connection  with  Judge  Kenesaw 
M.  Landis,  who  was  then  a  practicing  lawyer, 
not  yet  liaving  made  his  noted  decision  in  the 
Standard  Oil  Case.  He  remained  in  association 
with  Judge  Landis  until  the  latter  was  promot- 
ed to  the  bench,  and  Mr.  Jones  then  came  back 
to  his  boyliood  home  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  Mr.  Paul  R.  Chubbuck,  which  continued 
until  about  a  year  ago.  Mr.  Jones  is  forging  to 
the  front  as  a  lawyer,  and  already  is  at  the  head 
of  one  of  the  strong  law  jiractices  of  the  citv. 


A\'illiam  C.  Jones. 

An  able,  aggressive,  conscientious  man,  he  was 
chosen  leader  of  the  moral  forces  of  the  city  in 
the  last  municipal  campaign  and  won  respect 
and  admiration  for  his  high  ideals  and  lofty 
purposes.  A  Streator  boy,  bom  in  1881,  he  is 
a  man  with  whom  the  future  must  reckon. 


F.  M.  POWERS 


Mr.  William  C.    Jones  had    the  great    dis- 


Frank  M.  Powers  is  an  individualist.  He 
has  never  sought  a  partnership  or  alliance  with 
any  sup]wrting  interest.  When  he  comes  to 
look  back  on  his  career  he  will  have  the  satis- 
faction of  knowing  that  his  success  is  due  to 


THE  STORY  OF  STHKATOH. 


165 


himself.  He  is  still  in  tlie  early  thirties,  is  hap- 
pily married  ami  a  father,  and  is  climbing 
steadily  toward  a  comfortaljle  competency.  His 
start  is  made,  his  jKtsition  is  assured,  and  he  is 
fairly  in  tlie  race  of  life  with  y-ood  liealtii,  ^-ood 
liahits  and  a  reimtation  for  ability  and  integrity 
that  will  carry  him  a  long  way  toward  the  goal. 
Mr.  Powers  is  wholly  a  Streator  jtroduct.  He 
was  born  here  on  Fel).  1(1,  1880,  had  his  imblic 
schodl  cdiwalion  here,  and  was  gradnated  from 
the  Illinois  I'niversitv.    He  is  the  son  of  one  of 


Frank  M.  Powers. 

Streator's  oldest  and  most  respected  citizen.-, 
for  many  years  one  of  Streator's  hardware 
merchants.  Tliongh  he  passed  on  some  years 
ago,  his  name  is  so  esteemed  that  it  is  still  kept 
at  the  head  of  its  largest  hardware  establish- 
ment, Powers  &  AVilliams.  Though  giving  his 
most  serious  interest  to  the  law,  Mr.  Powers 
tinds  time  to  devote  to  the  liner  arts,  and  is  re- 
garded as  the  best  auuiteur  tiutist  in  the  city. 


C.  H.  LINSCOTT 


C.  H.  Linscott  is  one  of  the  bright  and  prom- 
ising sons  of  Streator  who  has  fought  his  way 
up  to  j)rofessional  position  witli  bare  hands.  He 
comes  straight  from  the  people  and  carries  with 
him  the  tang  of  the  soil,  and  the  unemasculated 
virility  of  long  generations  of  workers.  His 
father,  a  blacksmith,  but  a  man  of  unquestion- 
ed force  and  intellectual  endowment,  was  able 
to  do  but  little  "boosting"  for  his  son.  Young 
Linscott  managed,  however,     to  get  an  educa- 


tion in  the  local  schools,  and  was  graduated 
from  the  high  school  in  1898.  After  that  he  did 
any  lionest  work  that  he  could  turn  his  hand  to. 
He  carried  a  hod,  drove  a  team  and  clerked  in 
a  store.  From  190li  to  1 !»()()  he  served  as  deputy 
sheritf  of  La  Salle  County.  The  nameless  some- 
thing in  men  that  keeps  them  from  stagnating 
urged  him  on;  he  read  law  with  W.  H.  Boys, 
and  in  Deccmlier,  1!»]0.  received     the    coveted 


prize  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He  begun 
practice  immediately,  and  tlie  same  energy  and 
push  that  characterized  his  youth  is  marking 
with  success  his  career  as  a  lawyer.  He  is  sec- 
retary of  the  Police  and  Fire  Commission  of 
Streator,  and  a  member  of  the  Elks.  He  can 
be  found  in  his  office  at  101  Fast  Main  street, 
and  is  rcadv  for  anv  kind  of  law  business. 


JOHN  F.  BUCHNER 

RECORDER. 

John  F.  Bnchner,  who  since  December  A.  D. 
1904,  has  filled  the  position  of  Recorder  of 
Deeds  in  La  Salle  County,  was  born  upon  a  farm 
in  Carroll  County,  Indiana,  November  21st,  A. 
D.  1SG4,  and  is  of  German  lineage.  In  1867  Mr. 
Buchner,  with  his  parents  removed  to  Peru,  Il- 
linois. Soon  after  they  took  up  their  abode  in 
La  Salle,  Illinois,  where  the  boyhood  days  of 
John  F.  Buchner  were  passed.  The  German 
tongue  was  spoken  in  the  household  and  he 
early  became  familiar  with  that  language  as 
well  as  with  English.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  public  schools  of  La  Salle.    In  A. 


166 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOR. 


D.  1883  Mr.  Buclmer  came  to  Streator,  where  he 
became  employed  by  the  Streator  Bottle  & 
Glass  Co.,  holding  various  positions  with  said 
company.  In  A.  D.  1889  he  was  elected  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  council  from  the  first  ward  and 
for  three  consecutive  terms  was  continued  in 
that  position.  In  A.  D.  1904  additional  politi- 
cal honors  came  to  him  through  his  election  to 
his  present  position,  that  of  County  Kecovder 
of  Deeds,  which  position  he  has  filled  for  the 
past  eight  years,  and  at  present  holds.  During 
his  time  as  Eecorder  of  Deeds  Mr.  Buchner  has 
become  familiar  with  all  the  records  in  La  Salle 
County,  and  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  "Buchner 
and  Roe  La  Salle  County  Abstract  Company." 
Mr.  Buchner  was  manned  on  October  Ifitli,  A. 
D.  1888,  to  Miss  Louise  Bertiaux,  a  daugliter  of 
one  of  the  pioneer  window  glass  workers,  who 
came  to  this  country  from  France.  Three  chil- 
dren grace  this  marriage — Albert  F.,  Ernest  J. 
and  Tjouise  Carmen,  aged  respectively  twenty, 
nineteen  and  twelve  years. 

Mr.  Buchner  is  a  member  of  Humboldt 
Lodge,  No.  555,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  S]ia])bona 
Chapter  No.  37,  R.  A.  M.,  Ottawa  Conunanderv, 
No.  10,  Knight  Templars,  B.  P.  0.  E.  No.  591, 
Royal  Arcanum  and  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  The  same  thoroughness  which  has 
characterized  his  business  life  has  been  mani- 


fest in  his  official  service  and  he  brings  to  bear 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  an  industry  and 
close  apjdication  which  ex])edites  matters  and 


John  W.  Buchner 


make  him  a  capable  official  for  the  people  of  La 
Salle  Countv. 


View  in  City  Park 


I 


THi;  STOItV   OK  STIM. ATOi;. 


167 


CHARLES  L  McNAMARA 

CITY  CLERK. 


TIh'iv  is  a  hi'lii'f  common  ainoin;'  iiicii  that 
eacli  is  l)oi-ii  into  tliis  world  witli  some  l)iisiness 
or  professional  endowment  or  temleney.  wliicli, 
if  eoura,i;;eously,  persistently  and  intelligently 
followed  and  developed,  guarantees  to  him  a 
reasonable  success  in  life. 

That  i)articular  tiling-  which  manife.st  itself 
in  Charles  L.  McXamaia,  City  Cleric  of  Strea- 
tor,  is  bis  al)ility  to  nuike  and  hold  friends — 


Mr.  McNamara  has  had  experience  in  legis- 
lative nmtters  iu  Springfield,  having  gone 
through  a  session  there  in  the  capacity  of  com- 
mittee and  private  secretary  and  clerk,  and 
this  experience  coupled  with  a  five  years'  re- 
s])onsible  jtosition  on  the  Santa  Fe  enables  him 
(o  give  to  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his 
jiresent  i)osition.  a  ripened  judgment  that  is 
valuable  to  himself  and  the  people. 

Charlie  is  an  enthusiastic  sup))orter  of  legi- 
timate si)ort  and  his  activity,  contributions  and 
zeal,  coupled  with  that  of  nuiny  others,  make 
possible  the  high   standard  of  out  of  door  en- 


Charles  L.   McXamaia. 


the  faculty  he  possesses  of  recommending  him- 
self on  short  acipiaintance  to  his  fellows,  and 
of  winning  tiieir  kindly  and  substantial  regard. 
This,  in  a  very  large  measui'e.  accounts  for  the 
fact  that  although  of  the  minority  jiarty,  he 
holds  the  position  he  does  iu  the  city  today. 

In  the  iierfonnance  of  his  public  duties 
"Charlie,"  as  he  is  popularly  known,  is  ac- 
commodating, treating  all  alike  and  meeting 
all  with  fairness,  kindness  and  couitesy.  In 
the  deliberations  of  the  city  council  his  .iudg- 
ment  is  consuKeil  because  of  his  familiarity 
with  the  details  of  the  oitv's  affairs. 


tertainments  so  desirable     aiul     necessary     in 
modern  urban  life. 

Charles  L.  McNamara  was  born  in  Newark, 
Ohio,  in  1S81,  and  with  his  family  came  to 
Streator  when  eight  years  of  age,  and  has  re- 
ceived his  education  and  lived  his  life  here. 
To  ])re<lict  a  future  for  him  is  not  the  pur]iose 
of  this  word  of  ajiju-eciation,  but  that  a  man  so 
ellicient,  so  jiopuhii-  and  so  accomodating  will 
go  forward  to  bigger  ami  better  things  in  jiub- 
lic  matters,  is  a  foregone  conclusion  in  the 
minds  of  men  who  are  watching  the  drift  of 
things. 


16S 


THE  STORY  OF  STREATOB. 


G.  C.  Daniels, 

AldeiTnan  from  foiirtli  ward;  succeeded 

"William  Cool. 


IP 

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K.  J),  lioberts, 

Alderman  from  first  ward;  succeeded 

John  Diederich. 


THE  STORY  OP  STRKATOR. 


169 


THE  ORDER  OF  ELKS 


If  the  Streator  ("lub  represents  the  age  ami 
wisdom  of  Streator,  tlie  Elks  represents  its 
young  life,  its  jmsh  and  vim  and  energy.  There 
are  3:iO  of  them,  and  every  one  is  a  booster, 
hustler  and  worker.  They  are  organized  for  so- 
cial jiiirposes  only,  t(}  cvdti\ate  the  graces  of 
fri(Mid>liip  and  the  softer  amenities  of  life. 
Their  lodge  room  is  a  retreat  from  the  stress  of 
business,  an  oasis  where  joy  and  kindness  may 
flourish  amid  the  burning  heat  of  competitive 
strife. 


billiard  room,  cafe — all  the  adjuncts  of  a  first- 
class  club  room.  It  is  120x50  feet  in  size  and 
when  conipletetl  will  have  cost  not  far  from 
$50,000. 

While  not  permitted  to  divulge  any  of  their 
good  deeds,  it  is  an  oi)en  secret  that  the  charity 
of  the  Klks  is  deep,  wide  and  all-embracing. 
Like  the  dew,  it  falls  gently,  and  not  even  its 
beneliciaries  know  whence  it  comes.  Their  own 
pulilic  beneficence  is  their  annual  Thanksgiv- 
ing dinner  to  poor  children.    Last  year  400  ciiil- 


.W'A    l':iiis    L'iub   House.'. 


That  is  why  they  want  their  Elks'  rooms  in- 
viting and  attractive,  and  .so  they  have  just 
erected  the  beautiful  edifice  Avhich  is  to  be  tlieir 
future  home,  one  of  the  handsomest  structures 
in  Streator.  It  is  situated  on  a  prominent  cor- 
ner facing  the  city  park,  near  the  heart  of  the 
city,  and  is  equipped  with  gymnasium,  bowling 
alleys,  shower  baths,  ball  room,  ladies  parlors, 


dren  i)artook  of  their  hospitality. 

Tlie  officers  for  the  i)resent  year  are:  M.  A. 
Bronsou,  Exalted  Ruler;  Arthur  H.  Shay,  Es- 
teemed Loyal  Knight;  A.  M.  McCoy,  Esteemed 
Lecturtng  Knight;  Harry  R.  Smith,  secretary; 
C.  A.  Raymond,  treasurer;  Max  Murdock,  Dele- 
gate to  Grand  Lodge.  The  trustees  are  R.  F. 
Purcell,  W.  H.  Jennings  and  J.  W.  Fornof. 


r^ 


^1 


STREATOR  HEAT  AND 
LIGHT  COMPANY 

—  -  Qperates= 

^THE  SCHOTT  SYSTEMS'' 

^  Of  - 


Central  Station  Heating 


Some  Advantages: 


Central  Station  heat  is  the  ideal  heat. 
The  service  requires  no  attention  or  worry 
No  Fire  in  building  reduces  fire  risks 
Absence  of  boilers  eliminates  explosions 

and  floods 
Absence  of  coal  eliminates  smoke,  ashes 

and  dust 
No  care  or  responsibility  to  maintain  heat 
Ability  to  heat  properly  at  all  times 
Hot  Water  for  bath  or  domestic  purposes 

day  or  night 
Reduced  investment  due  to  boilers  and 

space 
Consumer  controls  cost  of  heating 
Company  receives  pay  for  heat  actually 

furnished 


=(=ii 


r' 


=11 ir= 


"I        F.  Plumb,  Pres. 


E.  F.  Plumb,  Vice-Pres. 


George  Goulding,  Sec'y. 


F.  M.  Whiting,  Supt. 


'^ 


Streator  Paving  Brick  Co. 

Office  in  Opera  House  Block,  Streator,  Illinois 

Manufacturers  of   Paving   Blocks,  Repressed 

Brick,  Wire  Cut  Brick,  Common  Building 

Brick  and  Colonial  Face  Brick. 


Our  brick  have  been  used  locally  in  the  construction 
of  the  followint;  huildinf;s  during  the  year  191 1: 

Elk's  Club  House;  Griffith's  Laundrv:  Monitor 
Printing  Office,  Salvation  Army  Building,  face;  Dr.  M.  F. 
Dorsey,  residence;  A.  H.  Anderson,  residence;  F.  Plumb, 
residence. 


Other  buildings  in  which  our  brick  have  been  used: 
Post   Office;    Christian    Church;    Congregational 

Church;  Evangelical  Church  and  Parsonage,  {German); 

St.  Steven's  Slavish  Church;  Grant  School;  Joseph  Vipond, 

residence;  R.  Kiefer,  residence;  W.  E.  Conness,  residence; 

C.  Schroeder,  residence;  Linn  Mulford,  residence. 


Streator  Shale  Brick  are  noted  for  durability  and  for  artistic  appearance.  The 
Streator  Paving  Brick  Company  has  shipped  brick  as  far  North  as  Winnipeg,  Canada, 
and  as  far  south  as  Vicksburg,  Mississippi.  We  invite  any  one  interested  to  call  or  write. 


V 


OFFICE  TELEPHONE,  120. 


YARD  TELEPHONE,  494     [ 


ESTABLISHED  1888 

STREATOR'S  BEST  TRADING  PLACE 

Tliis  Store  represents  everything  that  is  best  in  Modern  Merchandising,  large  and  well 
assorted  stocks  in  every  Department.  Newest  Styles  are  shown  on  our  counters  as  soon  as 
they  can  he  seen  in  the  Metropolitan  cities  of  the  country. 

Our  prices  for   De|iendal>le  Merchandise  are,  as  a  rule,  less  than  those  in  other 
stores. 

Our  Salespeople  are  efficient,  capable  and  courteous  and  are  pleased  to  have  an 
opportunity  to  show  our  goods  to  the  public,  whether  they  intend  to  purchase  or  not. 

W'c  do  not  urge  people  to  buy. 

For  over  24  years  the  policy  ot  this  store  has  been,  that  when  any  goods  are 
purchased  here  and  are  found  to  be  unsatisfactory  when  taken  home,  no  matter  for 
what  reason  or  for  no  reason,  we  insist  that  they  be  returned  to  us,  at  once  in  saleable 
condition  for  cheerful  exchange  or  money  back. 

Could  any  business  be  conducted  in  a  fairer  way  towards  the  public? 

D.  C.  MURRAY  &  COMPANY 

ir=ii  ^== 


THE 

KEYSTONE  PRESS 

L.  Weitlispach,  Proprietor 


W 


^ 


Producers  of  the 
Better    Kind    of 

PRINTING 

For  any  Business 
or   Occasion 

PHONE  2556 

408  Main  St.    -    Streator,  111. 


JO 


Graduate  Battle  Creek  Sanitarium 


BATH  1  MASSAGE 

PARLORS 

Upstairs--113  N.  Vermillion  St. 


PLUNGE,    SHOWER,    ELECTRIC 

AND   VAPOR    BATHS 

All  forms  of  Thermo-Electric,  Hydro-Therapy 
and  Massage  applied  hy  an  expert  of  thorough 
training  and  many  years  experience. 

REFERENCE  TO  STREATOR'S 
MOST  PROMINENT  CITIZENS 

OLDEST  ESTABLISHED  PARLORS  IN  THE    CITY 


The   Most   Complete  Line  of 

HARDWARE 

In  La  Salle  County 

folinAlband 


JHARD\V;\RE  AfP  stoves! 
115  E.  MAIN  STREET. 

STREATOR,  ILL. 


Phone  186 
Peoria  Lexington  and  Round  Oak 

COOK  STOVES 

And  Ranges 


Excelsior  Motorcycles 
Indian  Motorcycles 
Pope   Motorcycles 

Guns  and  Bicycles 

Spauldings  Sporting 
Goods 

Barbers'  Supplies 

REPAIRING  A 
SPECIALTY 


E.  C.  Van  Loon 

314  Main  St.,  Streator,  III. 


Chicago's  Most  Modern  Hotel 

757  Rooms  —  each  with  private  bath.  Every  room  and  suite 
in  Hotel  Sherman  is  supplied  with  distilled,  circulating  ice  water. 

The  management  has  spared  no  expense  to  supply  its 
patrons  with  the  most  modern  accommodations,  and  yet  the 
prices  are  always  in  moderate  and  just  proportion  to  the  serv- 
ice rendered. 

Hotel  Sherman  invites  consideration  of  its 
facilities    for    banquets   and   conventions. 


Hotel  SKermaJV 

Home  of  the  Famous  College  Inn 
CITY   HALL   SQUARE,    CHICAGO 


r" 


-r^=i- 


E.  F.  BURKHOLDER  &  CO. 


^ 


317-319  E.  MAIN  ST. 


■•THE  OLD  RELIABLE' 


STREATOR,  ILL. 


This  firm  handles  a  splendid  line  of  general  merchandise 
suited  to  the  needs  of  everybody. 

It  believes  in  honesty,  progression  and  prompt  service,  and 
during  its  past  ten  years  of  merchandising  in  Streator  has  re- 
ceived a  liberal  patronage  from  the  city  and  surrounding  country. 

The  policy  of  selling  brands  of  recognized  merit,  at  lowest 
prices  possible  for  the  grade,  has  brought  to  this  store  the  con- 
fidence of  the  people,  and  accounts  for  its  continuously  increas- 
ing trade. 

Manned  by  men  of  integrity,  experience  and  ability,  it  makes 
an  ideal  store  with  which  to  concenirate  your  business. 


L. 


r^ 


=ii==i[=; 


.J 


STREATOR  LUMBER  COMPANY 


:DEALER  IN: 


LUMBER,  CEMENT,  LIME,  PLASTER 

HARD,  SOFT  AND  SMITHING  COALS. 


ESTIMATES  FURNISHED 


524  E.  Bridge  Street 


Telephone  64 


L. 


JEi 


3     l=li 


J 


HILL  BROTHERS 


HOME  BAKERY 


MANUFACTURERS  AND 
WHOLESALERS     OF 


Confectioneries  and  Ice  Cream 


211    EAST    MAIN    STREET 


STREATOR. 


ILLINOIS 


OSTEOPATHY 

UR.    C.    J.    IIlGIABOTHAM 

OSTEOPATHIC 
PHYSICIAN 


GRADUATE  OF  MEDICINE 
AXD  SUliGERY 


UKS.  &  OFFICE.  JACK     1{I>UG.     KtKJM.S    I    TO   4. 

:iJ!>   MAIN   STREBT.        (OVER   'nAWN") 

ti:ni;imione  :5U7 

XHAINKn    NCH.MK     I.V     ATTENnANCK. 


H.J.  HOWLAND 

UNDERTAKER 


PICTURE   FRAMES   AND 
ART  GOODS 


PHONES 

STORE  295       RESIDENCC  002 


I  I  2   MAIN  STREET 
STREATOR.  ILLINOIS 


PHIL  OHALLORAN 

LIVERY,  BUS,  CARRIAGE,  AITOMOBILE, 
BAGGAGEANDTRANSFERLINE 


HEADQUARTERS 

Olympic  Restaurant        Columbia   Hotel 


TELEPHONES 
Barn  425,    Olympic  138,    Columbia  292 


Livery  and  Feed  Yard   1 17-21  S.  Monroe 


J.  T.  McCOY 


BREECE  DAVENPORT 


McCoy  &  Davenport 

Tin,  Sheet  Iron 


and 


Metal    Wort<ers 


Slate  and  Asbestos  Roofs  and  Furnaces 
a  Specialty. 


121  SOUTH  BLOOMINGTON  STREET 
STREATOR,   ILLINOIS 


Sharfenberg  Bros. 

Clothing  and  Shoes 

201-203  Main  St.     Telehorie  132 


CLOTHIER,    FURNISHER    AND 
HATTER 

THE  HOME  OF 

Hart  Schaffner  &  Marx 
CLOTHES 

Every  garment  that  leaves  my  store 
has  my  personal  guarantee.  Aside  from 
that,  my  forty  years  of  continuous  mer- 
chandising in  Streator  assures  you  of  a 
SQUARE  DEAL. 

Dave  Wolferman 


220  East  Main  St. 


Streator,  Illinois 


ALBERT  DUIS 

•CONTRACTOR    FOR  ^'^^ 

Steam  and  Hot  Water 
HEATING 

PNEUMATIC  WATER  SYSTEMS 
AND  PLUMBING 

ACETYLENE  LIGHTING 


TELEPHONES 

OFFICE  163  RESIDENCE  36 


WINDMILLS 
AND  PUMPS 


GASOLINE 

ENGINES 


Office  119  S.  Bloomington  Street 

Residence  1002  E.  Main  Street 


STREATOR, 


ILLINOIS 


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Bud^veiser 

AMERICA'S   FAVORITE   BEVERAGE 

More  Bud\veiser  is  used 
in  American  homes  than  any 
other  two  brands  o[  bottled 
beer  combined.  This  proves 
that  its  superiority  is  recoc- 
nized  everywhere. 

Bottled  only  at  the  home  plant  in  St.  Louis. 


ANHEUSER-BUSCH   BREWERY 

ST.  LOUIS 

Anheuser-Busch  Branch 

E.  F.  J.  ELBRECHT,  Manager, 
STREATOR,  ILL. 


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THE  KEELEY  INSTITUTE 


THE  famous  Keeley  Institute  o]ierated  by  The  Leslie  E.  Keeley  Company,  a  eor- 
poration,  is  located  at  Dwinlit,  Illinois,  twenty  miles  from  Streator.  It  is 
probably  the  most  widely  advertised  and  best  kntnvn  corporation  in  the  State 

of  Illinois.  The  late  Dr.  Leslie  E.  Keeley  began  the  treatment  of  dmukenness, 
drag  addictions,  the  tobacco  habit  and  nervous  disorders  many  years  ago,  meeting 
with  remarkable  success,  so  much  so  that  in  1880  he  abandoned  jirivate  practice  en- 
tirely and  established  the  Keeley  Institute,  devoting  himself  exclusively  to  that 
work  thereafter.  There  are  now  Keeley  Institutes  in  foreign  countries,  besides 
which  there  are  one  or  move  in  nearly  every  state  in  the  union. 

The  Institute  consists  of  a  laboratory  and  office  building,  a  hotel  and  power 
house,  all  of  fire  proof  constrnction  and  up-to-date  in  every  i)articular.  The  Hotel 
Livingston,  iindoubtedly  the  finest  hotel  in  Illinois  outside  of  Chicago,  is  where 
most  of  the  patients  board,  but  this  hotel  is  also  open  to  the  public. 

The  Keeley  treatment  has  a  record  of  about  four  hundred  thousand  cures  to 
its  ci'edit,  and  as  far  as  results  are  concerned,  it  is  recognized  as  being  not  only  the 
standard,  but  also  without  rivals  or  competitors.  Business  is  conducted  on  a  high 
plane;  eveiyoue  is  treated  fairly.  All  business  is  strictly  confidential.  Printed  mat- 
ter is  always  sent  out  in  a  sealed  envelope  when  requested,  and  full  particulars  are 
given  by  letter.  Liquor  cases  and  cases  of  drug  addictions  have  to  be  treated  at 
the  Institute.     There  are  home  remedies  for  the  tobacco  habit  and  nerve  irritability. 

The  company  maintains  an  office  in  Chicago,  which  is  located  in  the  Sector 
Building,  Suite  906,  79  W.  Monroe  Street. 


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R.  T.  SHAW,  PLUMBER 


ONE  of  Streator's  longest  established  businesses  is  that  of  R.  T.  Shaw, 
plumber.  In  1891  Mr.  Shaw  opened  his  plumbing  shops  on  Vermillion 
Street  and  has  been  on  this  street  during  all  the  intervening  years,  his 
present  address  being  113  North  Vermillion  Street. 

The  business  necessarily  began  in  a  very  small  way  and  its  steady  growth 
to  its  present  size  has  been  due  to  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Shaw  has  met  the 
phniibing  requirements  of  Streator  and  the  splendid  increase  of  the  business  is 
proof  that  they  were  met  satisfactorily.  The  modern  equipment  of  the  business 
makes  possible  the  handling  of  work  from  the  largest  to  the  smallest  measure. 

A  little  over  one  year  ago  Mr.  Shaw  introduced  a  new  feature  into  his  bus- 
iness when  he  took  over  the  Streator  agency  for  the  "Champion  Coal  and  Gas 
Kange  2  in  1. "  The  success  of  this  new  department  has  greatly  exceeded  his 
expectations  and  the  efficiency  of  the  range  can  now  be  testified  to  by  over 
twenty  of  Streator's  best  homes. 

Mr.  Shaw  also  carries  a  full  line  of  plumbing  accessories  together  with 
heating,  gas  and  electric  fixtures. 


Miss  Wood  mansee 


213  East  Main  Street 


Streator,  Illinois 


SPYRE'S  PLAGE 


Tliat   is 
where 

The 

People 

go  when 
ihey  want 
their  shoes 
dressed  as 
they  should 
be  dressed 
and  where 
hats  are  re- 
paired s  o 
that  they 
are  as  good 
as  n  e  w 
prices  pop- 
ular. 


IT'S  AT  418  E.  MAIN  STREET 


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TIERNEY  BROTHERS 


The  firm  of  Tieriiey  Brothers,  coniposed  of 
James  Tieruey  and  Josepli  Tierney,  was  estab- 
lished in  1881,  and  has  grown  from  humble  ]n-e- 
tentions  to  its  present  proportions.  The  firm 
makes  a  specialty  or  Iron,  Rubber  and  Metal, 
but  deals  also  in  ingot  copper. 

The  Tieruey  Brothers,  in  counectiou  with 
their  other  business,  handle  considerable  real 
estate  and  loan  monej^  Their  trade  extends 
over  this  whole  section  of  Illinois  and  because 
of  the  large  shipments  made,  this  firm  appre- 
ciates the  advantages  Streator  i^ossesses  as  a 
railroad  center. 

Yards  and  offices  at  515  E.  Bridge  street. 
Telephone  231. 


=11  11= 


^' 

Money  Loaned 

On  Furniture,  Pianos,  Horses, 
Wagons,  or  any  Personal  Pro- 
perty of  value.     All  property 
left  in  your  possession.     All 
dealings  strictly  confidential. 

PRIV^ATE                                                               RELI.VBLB 

STATE  LOAN  CO. 

217  E.  MAIN  ST.                                            'PHONE  199 
Over  Independent  5  &  10c  Store. 

H 

... 

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t 


W.  B.  HATTENHAUER 

DRUGS   &    KODAKS 

21  5  MAIN  STREET 


STREATOR. 


ILLINOIS 


ALWAYS  SOMETHING  NEW   IN  JEWELRY 


CAREW 


■1, 


Fine  Jewelry 

316  MAIN  STREET,        STREATOR 


SPECIAL  ATTENTION  TO   REPAIR   WORK 


ED.  REINEL 

Watches,  Jewelry,   Clocks,  Cut  Glass 

210  MAIN  STREET 
YOUR  EYES  SCIENTIFICALLY  FITTED   WITH  GLASSES. 


J.  J^.  ARTHUR 

PHOTOGK  A  PIIIC  STUDIO 

•jnll    MAIX    HTKKET 

STKKATDK,    ILLIN'OIS 
QUALITY  SERVICE 


FABER 
Beauty  Shop 

322  E.  Main  Street 
STELLA  FABER 


»[ 


Hair    Dressing,    Shampoo- 
ing,   Facial  Massage 
and  Manicuring 


Telephone  No.  1539 


MOTORCYCLES 
AND  BICYCLES 


REPAIRING,  SUPPLIES 

ACCESSORIES 


Kroesen  &  Plock 

506  E.  Main  Street 


RECEPTION  ROOM 


CLARK'S  STUDIO 


THE  PLACE  WHERE    GOOD 
PHOTOGRAPHS  ARE  MADE 


JAMES  CONNELL 

LIVERY  FEED  AND  SALE 
STABLE 


HARD  AND  SOFT  COAL 

DRlVlNfi  AND  DRAFT  HORSES 
FOR  SALE  Al  ALL  TIMES 

126  S.  Park  Street 
STREATOR,  ILLINOIS 


CHIRO-PRACTIC 
INSTITUTE 

106  E.  SUMNER  STREET 

PROF.  G.  H.  SMITH,  Director 

TIk-  newest  scliool  of  iiKMiiuil  licaliiii;-  has  t'.>t;il)lislu'(l 
ail  iiislilutc  ill  Stivalur,  wliieli  lias  liecii  opcrali'd  with 
remarkable  success  here  for  several  years.  Ciiiro  practic 
is  the  hitcst  and  most  sciontifio  form  of  treating-  disease 
by  iiiaimal  therapy — hand-healing  it  may  be  called. 
Wonderful  results  have  been  attained  and  many  inonii 
iient  Streator  citizens  testify  to  its  eflieaey. 


A  Plant  that  Represents  Streator's  Progress 


The 
Independent-Times 

An  Indci'jcndent  Democra- 
tic Daily  Newspaper 


A  paper  that  stands  for  Good 
Government  and  Good  Principles 


The 
Independent-Times 

STATIONERY 
BOOK  STORE 

A  Store  that  Treats  allMhke,  the 
Child  as  well  as  the  Adult. 


THE   INDEPENDENT-TIMES 
Job  Printing  Establishment 

Makes  a  Specialty  of  General  Job  Printing  for  the  Local  Community 

And  a  Specially  of  Legal  lilaiiks  acul  Legal  Printing  for  Lawyers,  Real  Estate  Agents,  Justices  of  llie  Peace,  Banks, 
County  Clerks,  City  and  Town  Clerks,  Etc.,  Throughout  the  State  of  Illinois. 


THE  J.  I.  BRANNAN 

BILLIARD  HALL    CIGAR  STORE    BARBERSHOP 

CAROM   AND    POCKET   BILLIARD   TABLES    IN 
FIRST   CLASS   CONDITION 

The  Best  and  Most  Popular  Brands  of  Cigars 

Imported  and  Domestic 

A    FIRST   CLASS    BARBER   SHOP 

An  Artist  at  Every  Chair. 

Corner  of  Main  and  Monroe  Streets.  Most  Popular  Corner  in  the  City. 

A  BRIGHT,  CHEERFIL,  CLEANLY  PLACE  IN  WHICH  TO  PASS  AN  HOUR. 


-I ir==ii 1= 


The  Pure  Ice  Qo. 


OUR  PRIGE  HAS  BEEN  AND  IS  AL  WA  VS 
THE   L  O  WES  T  

OUR  IQE  IS  THE   BEST 


Prompt  service  and  honest  weights  ^uaran= 
teed.  Goal  and  general  teaming  at  alt  times. 


,4' 


J.  W.  Worrell 


108  S.  First  St. 

STRETITOR,      ILLIXOIS 
Phone  lO'JO 


El ii:^=ji 1; 


BA<-W*y<»-.  ■   T-V 


iSX.V"^ 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


